We all know the old Jewish teaching that if you save a life, you’ve saved a world.  We all know that each human on this earth is created in God’s image.  We are all holy.  And yet, all too often we forget the magic, the unique brilliance of every person around us.  All too often, we see people only for the functions they perform in our lives.  We see grocery delivery people and mail carriers, we see clerks and landscapers, we see employees and teachers, but we forget that within each person is a whole world of wisdom, life experiences, and love.
Today I want to share with you the story of someone you may have seen but may not have seen.
Drake Thadzi was born in 1964 in Lilongwe, Malawi.  The country had just been liberated from British rule and was settling into a new totalitarian state led by President Bandas which would last for the next thirty years.  There were death squads that would kill dissidents and everyday citizens had to carry id cards to prove their affiliation with the proper political party before they could ride the bus or access groceries.  Drake’s mother was murdered in front of his eyes and he became a fighter out of necessity.  At that time, boxing wasn’t a sport, it was a survival tactic.