Normally, Father Terry would be hearing confessions of others, but here he is asking officer Rodney Ford for forgiveness.
A very young Terry Lester and his family were forcibly removed from their home in Constantia and relocated to the Cape Flats in the 1960’s during the dark days of Apartheid and the draconian Group Areas Act, a tragic piece of legislation that brought misery to thousands of families.
At about the same time, a young Rodney Ford enrolled as an officer at the Cape Town Traffic Department, a position he held for almost 40 years, promoting road safety and assisting motorists across the Cape Town metropole.
In an interesting turn of events, and now ordained as an Anglican priest, Father Terry Lester has returned to Constantia as Rector of the local Anglican Church, as well as being Arch Deacon of about 12 churches in the Constantia region.
Fortunately for Father Terry, behind officer Ford’s badge of authority is a humanitarian heart, as Rodney was the chairman of the Toy Run Trust, an organisation he has been involved in for over 30 years, hence the logo on the screen of the Harley Davidson, a machine he still rides today. This Trust is a volunteer organisation which collects and distributes toys and gifts for thousands of underprivileged youngsters every year in time for the Festive Season.
In the spirit of SA’s recent Truth and Reconciliation commission, one would hope that a measure of compassion would prevail in this incident, and that after all the facts had been heard, Father Terry would be allowed to proceed on his way, absolved and without punishment.
Acrylic on Cotton 90cm x 90cm
SOLD
Finalist; 2015 Sanlam Portrait Competition
