Tatted Influence Across the Pond. #Ubuntu16

I received an email from a Fairfield student yesterday who is studying abroad in Spain. He spent this summer in Tanzania and also was the 2016 MLK Student Vision Award winner. We've been corresponding back and fort since that awards ceremony, and here and there I've guides some of this thinking, especially with his leadership for Racial Justice is Social Justice and a campaign he led last year to become student body president.

He reached out to me a few months ago looking for designs for a tattoo he had on his mind, and I solicited a few to do sketches (none that appealed to him). I did find, however, another student's tattoo of Ubuntu and he liked the calligraphy. Yesterday's marking is his senior-year testimony to youth: power, an Adrinka symbol for "God is King" and th Ubuntu philosophy. We are stronger when we look to the power of doing good in the world.

I sent the tattoo to my cousin Mark and said, 'Wow...who would have ever thought influences would influence influences"" Pretty remarkable, actually,

And it's Monday morning, already. How did that happen? I just finished last Friday (sick as I was) and now it's time to kick off again - of course, I spent the weekend grading and writing. It's the life, I guess.

May you find yourself empowered in togetherness with a faith in doing what's right. That's my theme for the week....heck, for life.