TUTU, THE HOMELESS AND SOME DONUTS ...

Some years ago Desmond Tutu came to my my faith community. At the time there were very real concerns for his personal safety. So his security folks thought it best to move our early Sunday morning coffee and donuts cart -- a staple for our local homeless -- across the street. Being the guy who knew all our cities' homeless, I was asked to sit with them and monitor the situation.

So Sunday morning found 15 of us having our coffee and watching the rich and ordinary parade into the church. Finally, John Rasmussen, who I liked to say "never had a sober day in his life," looked at me as if he'd just woke up, "Frank, why we over here?" "Well, John there is a very famous man coming to church and they needed to use our coffee space." "What famous man?" "Bishop Tutu of South Africa." I replied.

"Oh." said John, staring at the ground as he let my words sink in. And then suddenly John brighten up and said, "tutu" and then again ... "tutu" ... then he stumbled as he made an awkward attempt to turned around, and laughing uproariously to himself, "tutu," louder and louder, "tutu."

As luck would have it at that moment, His Eminence, the Right Reverend Desmond Tutu, future Archbishop of Cape Town South Africa and Nobel Prize winner, dressed in all his red and white episcopal finery was ushered out on to the church lawn.

And on hearing "his name" that sweet man looked across the street, smiled and waved energetically, "Good Morning, Good Morning," he called over in his light, lyrical voice.

John suddenly stood still. He seemed startled as if that voice had taken the humor out of his own private joke. He look at me, refill his coffee, took another donut from the cart and wander off down the street. Bishop Tutu followed the choir and the other clergy into the sanctuary. In that brief moment two saints of my life touch each other.