One of the advantages of cleaning a drawer—this was a file drawer where I had slipped in receipts through a slot I made by leaving the drawer slightly open is that I find something of value.
Surprise! A great accumulation of papers, receipts,
car repairs, and health information were stacked up in a great pile inside the file drawer. The pile expanded when I took it inside the house to the dining room table. But
surprise, surprise, I found a paper I was looking for, and while sorting
through my stack, I found this:
From Desmond Tutu:
"We have to stop pulling people out
of the water. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling
in."
Right on, I thought, remembering the conversation I
watched some time ago of Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of South Africa, and The
Dalai Lama. Those two clearly loved each other and were as mischievous as
six-year-olds, teasing each other relentlessly while sharing their spiritual
practices. At one point, one poked the other and said, "Act like a holy
man." Tutu got the Dalai Lama to take communion, and you couldn't help but
laugh when The Archbishop persuaded the Dalai Lama to dance.
The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern
Africa, an advocate for civil rights, is married, has four children, and won
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in anti-apartheid. In 2009, he
received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 1989, Tutu spoke out about the Israeli Palestinian
conflict, asserting the right of the state of Israel to its territorial
integrity and security against attacks by those who would deny its right to
exist. And now, 35 years later, we still have that conflict. Sigh.
Yet those two spiritual friends, after what they had
gone through, got together in a spirit of joy and colluded to write THE BOOK OF
JOY: How to Find Joy in the face of suffering.
Well, I have to buy that one even though it costs 16
bucks on Kindle.
When Tutu asked the Dalai Lama how long he had been
exiled, he answered 35 years, then added: "There is a Tibetan is
saying, "Whenever you have friends, that's your country, and whenever you
receive love, that's your home."
Thanks for reading. Thus, I have a reason to write
this blog, find that quote to give you, and find "The Book of Joy,"
which I intend to read.
You see, miracles happen every day. (And all the pages are in their own little file folder.)
