Daniel’s Pilgrimage

Thought I would share a formative event from my past that not a lot of people know about. It was sometime in the 1995-1996 school year. I was a freshman at Virginia Tech and a part of the Baptist Student Union there. We went to a state BSU conference in Richmond where Tony Campolo was the main speaker. The group of us guys that were more conservative had some issues with what Tony was talking about. This led to a late night ranting and raving in our hotel room the first night. We were very loud and opinionated. I wasn’t the most fired up, but I was a part of it. So, the next day during our free time I needed to head up to the room to get something and who gets in the elevator with me but Tony Campolo himself. He struck up a conversation and was very friendly. He was heading to his room to get something as well. We both got off at the same floor, walked down the same hall, and opened doors right next to each other. Yep, Tony was in the room next to us the night before while we were ranting and raving about him. And you know hotel rooms, pretty thin walls. I’m sure that not only did he hear us being loud, but I suspect he could tell what we were being loud about. I got a real sinking feeling in my stomach as I was in the room. I came out of the room after a minute, the same time Tony came out of his. He picked up our conversation right where it left off, and we talked until we got back down to the lobby and parted ways. I don’t even know for sure if he could hear what we said, but I know that he showed me a TON more grace than we showed him. That chance encounter and short conversation on my first ever trip to Richmond(the city we now live in) was really the beginning of a lot of what God has done in my life since then. It was the beginning of freeing me from a lot of judgmental attitudes and changing my perspectives on things. I doubt that Tony will ever read this, but if you do Tony, thanks.