Archbishop Desmond Tutu

How can you not smile?

Sara and I attended a lecture at the University of Portland by Archbishop Desmond Tutu last night. I have to admit that, aside from his role in the truth and reconciliation commission in post-apartheid South Africa and an appearance on, of all places, The Daily Show, I didn’t know much about the man before last night. But the few times that I’ve seen him interviewed, I’ve been struck by his countenance and joyful approach to life. Even watching him on a pre-recorded basic cable show made me feel happier. So, when we had the opportunity to attend the lecture, I jumped at it and grabbed some tickets.

He spoke on the power of reconciliation and did so with such conviction and openness that even someone whose faith in, well, faith in whatever is shaky at best, like myself, was moved. I never felt like I wasn’t included in his ideas and his goals, and that kind of inclusiveness is sadly hard to come by in modern society.

I had my notebook with me, and I managed to scrawl down a quick paragraph that I think sums up the night pretty well. Here it is:

Some people just make you feel more alive when you’re in their presence. You can’t help but smile and your mood is immediately improved when they’re around. Archbishop Tutu is certainly one of those people. Not because he is a religious figure, but because the love and joy with which he looks at life and people flows through every pore in his body and it reaches out and infects you, too.