Rev. Cecil Williams marks his lucky 88th
You might have called the party for the 88th birthday of the Rev. Cecil Williams on Monday, Sept. 25, a revival meeting, but it wasn’t particularly religious fervor that was revived: Life was breathed into the notion that love can trump hate, into the idea that hope can help alleviate hunger ... and into the reverend himself, who, upon standing from his wheelchair to speak, seemed to banish physical infirmities and brush away the years.
On my way up to Feinstein’s at the Nikko, where the party was held, I saw Williams being wheeled into the hotel from the downstairs entrance. His greeting was warm — I’ve cheered at many Glide parties — but hardly robust. I didn’t see him at the reception before the program, but by the time the Glide Ensemble and Change Band launched into “Oh, Happy Day,” he was front and center, in his chair.
The event was ably emceed by Glide’s new pastor, the Rev. Jay Williams, who rose to the challenge of keeping spirits up through the many proclamations and speeches by politicians, all heartfelt but all, well, speeches by politicians. (Mayor Ed Lee said 88 is a Chinese lucky number, and then talked about being in Germany and recommending Glide to a person who’d asked where in S.F. she could go to worship, sing and celebrate. I wondered whether his welcome to the city included a warning not to leave valuables in her car.)
Janice Mirikitani, Williams’ wife and partner at Glide, proclaimed her love for him.
When it was time for the man of honor to speak, it wasn’t easy for him to rise from his wheelchair. Surrounded by helping people looking concerned, you could hear him, gently, saying, “Let me tell you something: If you relax, I’ll relax.” And then he addressed the audience, beginning softly: “Greetings, hello, get down.” With each word, his voice got stronger; not the roar of a young man, certainly, moderate but powerful. “This is a journey and it’s not over . ... It is a movement, in courage and love and we come together and stand together and applaud what it is to be human . ... What it means to love everybody. Everybody ...”
Williams advised listeners to follow their dreams, but “make sure you never forget those who are poor.” In his own efforts to help the community, he said, “I helped build this building (the Nikko) and five or six other hotels — some good, some not so good. Forgive me, I made a few mistakes . ... But what works is human endeavor.” After proclaiming his love for his wife, Williams finished with the pledge most people were waiting for: “I am not through. I am just beginning.”
There was no quaver in his voice at all.
P.S.: On hand for the celebration was Mary Glide, who lives in San Mateo and whose great-great-grandmother of the same name founded the church. She noted that the cornerstone carvings of the Glide building declare it a “house of prayer for all people,” and said she thought her grandmother would be “so proud to see where it went.”
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