God
is Good
Home From Swaziland
Letter to the Diocesan Community upon his return from Swaziland
March 1, 2000
God is good.
It is too soon to say very much, but you have the bishop with you again and
can do good to him whenever you will.
I have been purged of many things, and time and you will know if it "took."
On the plane(s) back I read Mandela's biography and the first part of Tutu's "No
Future without Forgiveness," of which I will be supplying a copy to all the
clergy, if Linda would please remind me and I have the resources.
Emily Wallace is a national treasure. Ned Wallace is a visionary of best sort.
If the link with Trinity bears fruit it will because Dan and Maggie Land are
giving this week to forge communications in a culture which has a different
way than ours in these matters.
The way Swazis say hello/goodbye translates "I see you." A sermon right there.
This is why I need to hold my tongue.
I am home two days early because Cape Town is devoid of bishops this week,
and I knew that I dare not pollute the pilgrimage with sight-seeing. I am not
kidding. We also saved some air fare and hotel and meal charges.
If I tell you that I bought no mementos or even giraffes for Diana (whose
thing they are), you will perhaps understand why I was so serious about putting
off Cape Town until a time when Diana and I are there as tourists.
Just another tidbit. I had to write a sermon for last Sunday that would be
simultaneously translated into Siswati. It was an enlightening experience to
check each sentence for clarity, lack of irony or pun or other word-games,
and concreteness of example. It was a real learning experience. God's sense
of humor then provided a translator who would take a 7-word sentence and go
on for a minute or two. I have the tape to prove it.
Anyway, it was a wonderful time, one that it will take a long time to digest.
I came home to find a stack of hate mail on the Jewish conversion article,
one of which is right out of Rudolph Hess and Joseph Goebbels (godless communism
a jewish conspiracy, etc., so don't give them any breaks, etc.). I think I
will make a contribution to the center for J-C understanding at Muhlenberg
in his name. Why these people write to my house and not the diocesan office
escapes me.
Anyway again, I have been refreshed in ways I did not expect, and know we
have some opportunities to pray over.
+p
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