My New Friend

Okay, so maybe he is not my 'friend,' but I definitely did meet one of my heroes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu this morning. I am attending a conference at the University of Cape Town called 'Beyond Reconciliation' and today is the first full day of sessions and lectures. Desmond Tutu spoke this morning and received questions from a panel of incredible scholars. He was full of joy, wit, and deep grace. I was so amazed (but not surprised) at how he unashamedly brought up the power and love of God as our prime example in reconciliation and forgiveness time and time again. He told many poignant stories along with jokes and powerful teaching. It was remarkable. As soon as it ended, I noticed he wasn't being rushed off, so Andy and I decided to go down and meet him. Ha! We just walked right down there, waiting until he was finished talking to the other 'scholars' and introduced ourselves. I mentioned that I was here because of Peter Storey, the South African professor who taught me at Duke, who is also a colleague and friend of Desmond. We talked a bit about why we were here and he was so gracious. WOW! Just a dream come true of a day as this is a man whom I deeply admire and a person who informs and challenges my life as a pastor and social 'activist.' Nothing can top that, but the rest of the conference has been challenging and inspiring and I am meeting many incredible people from numerous fields. My mind is spinning and inside I am still giddy that I am even here to experience this. So many people to learn from and I hope to follow in their footsteps of teaching others about social justice and reconciliation.

I hope you are inspired today in some way too!
Blessings,
Sarah