Desmond Tutu in Trenton

An opportunity to hear the Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, Desmond Tutu, preach at a church 30 minuets away brought many PTS students to arrive at church an hour early for the 10 am service. 807 people attended.

Within the larger message Tutu brought to the congregation at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, I heard a message directed to myself. Just last night I wrote, "The world I have created is fragile." refering to how easy it is to remove Christ as my source for happiness and replace Him with other human beings, and how quickly happiness may fade when things or people do not meet my expectations. Yet inspite of me, Tutu says, God looks upon me gently speaking these words, "I hold you as something fragile." Yes, my world is fragile. Yes, I am fragile. The major difference is that when the world I've created crumbles, I am with nothing, but when I crumble under the power and grace of God, I am still in the palm of His hand.

The sermon addressed the issue of acceptance of all people as the children of God and ended with a plea for us to join him in welcoming all people into God's Kingdom. Everyone from your friends to your enemies, those on the margins, and yes, even Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and George Bush (that is his order). All people, because God has no enemies. He was very interesting to listen to.

Before leaving a group of us were standing outside trying to decide where to go for lunch. As it so happens Desmond Tutu walks out the side entrance of the church. Kevin had brought one of Tutu's books, No Future Without Forgiveness, in hopes of getting him to sign it, so he walked up to him and said hello and shook his hand. Tutu then says, "You want me to sign something". So, he got his book signed. One of the guys walking Tutu around looks at me and says, "You want him to sign something?" I said, "I don't have anything for him to sign..." "You'll regret it later." Humm...now I will! So, the man brings Tutu back over to me and I have him sign my bulletin. He was obviously tired because he said, "Ok, you're the last one. We need to get out of here, I'm hungry." Then someone else came up, and he said, "I can't write." So great.