'We are unstoppable. Nobody can stop us on our march to victory!"
Archbishop Desmond Tutu said this to his fellow South Africans, pleading with them not to allow their country to descend into racial war. That urging, and Bishop Tutu's lifetime commitment to justice, helped put an end to one unjust system. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee he led ensured that Apartheid did not die only for another era of hatreds to be born.
And he remains an example in the twilight of his life - by heading into retirement. Rare is the visionary who is humble before his own limits. He showed that we are unstoppable in breaking down human divisions and he is showing he is strong enough to admit his own weakness. In the end, time slows us all. Bishop Tutu said bon voyage to public life as he boarded a 180-ft yacht yesterday for a five-month cruise around the world with his wife. It will be a welcome change of pace; his commitment to public service involved no small amount of sacrifice in his private life.
And yet, Bishop Tutu reflected that marrying his wife was the best decision he ever made. "Now I will have the time to serve her hot chocolate in bed in the mornings" he said. Bishop Tutu has always had his priorities in order.
