"Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu is a former Anglican bishop from South Africa who gained world wide recognition for his leading efforts during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission following the demise of the apartheid system. The TRC was a restorative justice program with an emphasis on reconciliation which gave thousands of victims and perpetrators an opportunity to share their truth. The process of the South African TRC was world renowned, having been studied and imitated by numerous countries across the globe. In addition to his contribution to the TRC, Tutu has been a prominent human rights activist, participating in campaigns against poverty, AIDS, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. As a result of his tireless efforts, he has been the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in addition to many other awards and recognitions.
So when I received an email at 9pm saying that we would be attending a mass led by Desmond Tutu that next morning at 6am, I couldn't be more excited and overwhelmed. The following day we groggily made our way to St. Georges Cathedral in the city center, and having fallen asleep during the car ride there, I desperately compiled strategies to keep myself awake for the service. I could just picture it; here is the amazing opportunity to attend a mass led by one of the world's leading figures in the implementation of reconciliation and forgiveness, and there's Jessa…snoozing away in the pew.
Luckily, however, Tutu's service was filled with energy and laughter which kept me fully engaged (and wide awake). As the mass began, I couldn't help but take note of his stature; he was an incredibly short man with eyes that bugged out of his head in every direction. It wasn't long before I understood exactly what Nelson Mandela meant when he described Tutu as "sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid, and seldom without humor." Entertainingly, that sense of humor was accompanied by a crazed hyena-sounding laugh that was absolutely contagious. I don't think I have laughed that hard in church since my grade-school days.
(Hopefully this short youtube video will give you a better understanding of that hyena laugh).
How cool! Great video too, what a funny man.
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