Molly meets Archbishop Desmond Tutu

I first heard Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at the Connecticut Diocesan Bishop's ordination ceremony in 2010, and his words on God's call for peace and acceptance of others, especially people of different sexual orientations and political persuasions, inspired me to learn more about human rights and about South Africa, and eventually drove me to study in Cape Town for this semester. I knew that many of my coeducators have also been inspired by his dedication to dignity and reconciliation, and I wanted badly to meet with before I left Cape Town. I’m not sure what exactly I was hoping to get out of seeing the man in person, but I knew it would at least be an opportunity for discovery and reflection, if nothing more. Several of my coeducators and I ended up going to a 7:15am Friday chapel service last week where there were a few regulars in the congregation, but most of us were visitors there to experience a service with Desmond Tutu. There was a point in the Friday morning  service when Desmond asked each group of guests to stand up, introduce themselves, and say where they're from. I had a whole speech planned where I would explain that my friends and I were students from Connecticut who were learning about human rights from our internships in Cape Town, and that we were so inspired by his work encouraging peace among youth around the world through his work with PeaceJam and by his calls for universal compassion and inclusion. The man who went before me was from Australia, and when he told Desmond this, Desmond responded, "We hate Australia." I later found out that Australia had just recently beaten South Africa in an important cricket tournament, but I didn't know this at the time, and it kind of threw me off of the whole "universal compassion and inclusion" thing. It was humbling to see that after years of fighting for justice and fighting his own illnesses, he could still take the time to joke around with visitors, pray with them in (at least) three different languages, take pictures with them, and sign their books after the services. After he finished signing books, he and his assistants invited everyone to Food Lovers across the street for brunch. He ate quietly and in peace at a small table with his friends while the rest of the small congregation ate at a larger table. In some ways, the photo taking and autographing seemed a little cheesy, as if we were all treating Desmond like a tourist attraction or a photo op that would look good on Facebook. In other ways, it really demonstrated Desmond’s dedication to his work and to his church, that as humble as he is, he won’t deny his admirers the opportunity to share a moment and get a memory.