Nelson Mandela said of Desmond Tutu that his voice was “sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid, and seldom without humour”. He also added wryly that
“If Desmond gets to heaven and is denied entry, than none of the rest of us will get in!”
December 2021 Heaven surely received an honoured guest.
Desmond Tutu was an inspiration through his unrelenting pursuit of justice, his empathy, his moral compass and his respect for the breath of God in every single human being.
He had this vibrant personality - with a zest for life, determined to be a player and not a bystander .
He was bold, defiant, outspoken and outlandish. He was a leader, he was a man of God, he was impudent and he was incredibly funny.
When the police stormed his Cape Town Cathedral, he danced down the aisle to meet them. He would diffuse tense situations with his down-to-earth humour or by bursting into a song and dance routine.
He had an irrepressible energy and the laugh of a lovable pixie.
He was as critical of Zuma as he was of Afrikaner Apartheid - he called abuse of power and injustice as he saw it !
Tutu lived by the term Ubuntu - meaning humanity - where people become people through people.