Meeting The Arch

Hello everyone! Greetings from Cape Town! I have been here for a week (and finally have internet access at the house) and am absolutely in love with being here. Before I left, Bishop Dietsche expressly told me that I must come back to the States in January, but....ummm....well....(Don't worry, Bishop!) After a fifteen-hour flight to Johannesburg and a two-hour connecting flight to Cape Town, I made it--thanks be to God! My classmate Tommie came to pick me up from the airport, and the adventure continued. There are so many stories to tell, but the biggest highlight thus far was meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu yesterday morning.

It was quite an auspicious day. “Arch,” as he is affectionately called, conducts a Eucharist service at St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Cape Town every Friday morning at 7:15 am. Thanks be to God, we got through the morass of morning traffic and made it with eight minutes to spare. Tommie and I were greeted by the dean of the Cathedral, who immediately put us to work by assigning us scripture to read during the service. There were about 60 people of all nationalities in the side chapel sitting in the simple wooden chairs that surrounded the altar. Arch entered the chapel soon thereafter. Here I was before one of the greatest human beings I knew of in my lifetime. He began the service from South Africa’s An Anglican Prayer Book, saying "The Lord be with you..." in his distinctive voice. When it was time for the first lesson to be read, I got up and made my way to the podium and microphone. It was a reading from the book of Daniel. As I read Daniel’s vision that was so otherworldly, I realized that described my experience at the moment; never in a million years had I thought that I would be in such an intimate setting participating in a Eucharist celebrated by the venerable Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu! I finished reading and the service continued.

At the time of the exchanging of the Peace, Tutu asked all the visitors to stand and say where they were from. When he heard I was a student from The General Theological Seminary in NYC, his eyes lit up in wide delight. After all, we do have the Desmond Tutu center on the seminary campus. From Denmark to Minnesota, New York City to Sri Lanka people from all over the world were represented in that chapel. “You read wonderfully!” he said to me. A compliment from the Arch!

After the Peace, he celebrated the Eucharist in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans. It was a beautiful and sacred service, for the Holy Spirit was keenly experienced in the presence of this man, in the prayers and in those gathered for the Eucharist. Afterwards there was time for pictures and autographs. Following the service, the Arch usually walks two blocks to a coffee shop where visitors can come and have coffee with him. Sitting mere inches from him over a cup of joe and talking about such things as how he keeps in shape by doing water aerobics made me chuckle and also be in awe of him at the same time. His infectious laugh and gracious spirit pervaded the room. The morning sun was shining on him through the plate glass window and his small frame looked resplendent in his simple herringbone cap, glasses, and African-print shirt. Calm beauty and wisdom exuding from this strong fighter for freedom and justice, lover of God and follower of Jesus.

There was such a gracious presence about him—in his authentic hospitality as he welcomed each person; in his hands as he reverently touched the bread and wine; the timbre of his voice; the strength evident in his spirit; that smile. Looking into my eyes he said, “God bless you” when we parted. Yes, truly, God has.