Tony Campolo has been a friend for decades. He’s constantly on the move so we do not connect in person often enough, but I still consider him one of the people who has most influenced my life. He is staying with us a couple of days to help The SOLD Project raise awareness about the prevention of child exploitation.
Two old bald guys.
One of the best things about Tony — other than his deep spirituality, his quick mind, his irreverence blended with respect, and his unbridled energy — is his incredible sense of humor. And some of the funniest lines are about our shared blessing of baldness. Here are just a few:
– “Yes, I’m bald, but remember God put hair on everything He was ashamed of.”
– “Bald guys like me can’t wear turtleneck sweaters. We look like roll on deodorants if we do.”
– “They only put marble tops on the finest products.”
– “You can use your testosterone to grow hair; I have better uses for mine.”
The last one is my all time favorite and reflects Tony’s pushing the edge of acceptability in church circles. These and other jokes have been around for years but they make me smile each time. Not so much because they are funny (though they are) but because they remind me of Tony’s unique and wonderful personality. He can be quoting Kierkegaard to you one moment and laughing at himself over some ridiculous thing the next.
Nearing 80 now, he has built an amazing legacy. I still travel places across the globe and run into people who are doing what they do because of Tony. Just last January I met Ash and Anji Barker in the Klong Toey Slum of Bangkok, and when I asked what inspired them to live a life of service to the poor they simply said, “Tony Campolo.” I’ve had the same kinds of conversations from Atlanta to Zimbabwe.
Tony is a treasure to our family. He and his wife Peggy always ask how my Mom is doing, they’ve adopted Rachel’s work in the way they once adopted mine, and they have never asked for a dime in return.
Thank you, Tony, for your friendship, your service to the Kingdom, and your unflagging belief in the ability of others to do great things.
Tony with the Goble family.