Desmond Tutu visits Church Army!

There is an episode of Father Ted, in which a TV presenter called Henry Sellars comes to Craggy Island to judge the All Priests Look alike contest. Father Dougal is very excited because Henry Sellars is his hero.

In her usual never taking no for an answer, Mrs Doyle plies him with sherry. He declines, and she starts on her trademark go on, go on , go on, go on, go on. Sellars relents and gets blindly drunk, and violent. Dougal turns to Ted and sighs, "tis true what they say Ted, you should never meet you heroes"

This picture proves that this week, I met the man I have looked up to most in the Christian world all my life. When I was a kid I watched this man address huge crowds in South Africa appealing for calm, and urging them to work peacefully to dream of a new South Africa, a rainbow people of God. What inspired me as a child, and still does, was Desmond Tutu couldn't just preach theology from his pulpit when injustice was going on in the streets. His faith drove him to change the world around him. He became a force for good, for justice, and for God.

When Desmond Tutu was a small child, he and his mum were walking along the street and they met a tall man in a black suit, who was white and broke protocol by stepping off the pavement to let them past and as he did so, he tipped his hat in a gesture of respect. Little Desmond asked his mum, why that white man did that for them, and his mum explained that he was a minister, a man of God. It was Bishop Trevor Huddleston. Amazing that gesture, that spoke so powerfully encouraged him as a small boy to enter Anglican Ministry

When I was 19 as a student in Belfast, I watched him vote for the first time as democracy brought freedom to South Africa. I watched as he chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Desmond Tutu is a moral giant in our world, where ever there are people whose voice is not listened to, Desmond Tutu speaks up for them. As a friend of mine puts it, "I am not sure if there is a God, but if there is..Desmond Tutu is one of God's best men". I never dreamed I could get to meet him, never mind spend a morning with him. He is lovely, gentle, humble, loving, and has a presence that exudes the love and joy of Christ.

Church Army, was thrilled this week to welcome Archbishop Desmond, our new President, to the Marylebone Project in NW London. This is our homeless hostel for women, and is the largest women's hostel in London. The hostel has beds for over 100 women, and exists to empower and enable homeless women to make the transition into independent living. We have attached to the project a Day Centre which helps an additional 500 women a year and is the only centre of its kind in London. This provides training, art classes, dance classes, and english classes for women, or just a decent meal and a hot shower. The Archbishop toured the project and met staff and residents.

In a deeply moving session, the Archbishop spoke to the women who live in the hostel. He told them all they were VSPs, Very Special People. That the world may look down on them because they were homeless, but you bring a smile to the face of God. The Archbishop told them that God has their names engraved on his hand. He was inspirational. I watched as tears filled the eyes of some of the women. I felt them fill mine too. This was a pure moment, a moment when I sensed the power of God's Spirit touch and bless a bunch of people who needed it. A resident came up to me after, and hugged me and said the Archbishop had given her a message that touched her deeply . Dr Tutu is an agent of hope, he would say a prisioner of hope. He sure delivered that hope powerfully to our project.

Walking Dr Tutu from one part of our project to another he was stopped by practically every person on the street, who wanted to speak to him, have him bless them. I have never seen that with any other cleric in my life. This is a man who the world respects, and loves. A man the world recognises as being holy. Here is a man who seeks to show the love of Christ to every human being, who seems to see every human being through the eyes of Christ. Something in me changed yesterday, I can't put my finger on what it is, but I feel it. I am going to have to pray and reflect but I know I caught something from him. Jesus said in Matthew 25

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me

Serving the homeless, the poor, the broken isn'st just a good idea. Desmond Tutu told us, as we care for them, it is as if we care for Christ himself. We need to care for every person as if it were Christ himself. He said to the homeless women, we thank you for giving us the privilege of serving you.

I got a long way to go to get this living as a Christian sorted out, but yesterday gave me a huge dose of inspiration to stop talking theology and start living radical discipleship. As the Archbishop says, this is a moral universe, good will prevail. Bring it on..

To read more about the amazing Marylebone Project click HERE