However, on this particular day, before the young Tutu and his mother could step out of the way, the white man stepped off the pavement instead. As they passed, he tipped his hat in a gesture of respect. This man who decided to evade societal norms was Trevor Huddleston, an Anglican Priest who was bitterly opposed to apartheid.
This encounter transformed Tutu’s life. When his mother told him that Trevor Huddleston had stepped off the pavement because ‘He was a man of God’, Tutu was inspired. Tutu said “when she told me that he was an Anglican priest I decided there and then that I wanted to be an Anglican priest too. And what was more, I wanted to be a man of God”. Huddleston later became a mentor to Desmond Tutu. His commitment to the equality of all human beings in light of their creation in the image of God was a key influence.
Jesus said ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you’ (John 15:12). My prayer is that we can all seek to carry God’s inclusive heart for all people and be willing to step off the pavement and tip our hat, to show love and kindness to all.
