The Measure of Greatness: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The Measure of Greatness: Archbishop Desmond Tutu 

 JANUARY 4, 2022 BY FREDERICK SCHMIDT

 

It is difficult to measure the significance of a life and even harder to measure it at a distance.  Alongside Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was obviously a central figure in ending apartheid in his native South Africa and a unique voice in healing differences between rival factions following the election of 1994.  But it will take some time to fully grasp the impact of his ministry both in South Africa and around the world as a voice for “truth and reconciliation.”

From Patheos

A person is a person through other persons - Easter 3 sermon work

We say in our African idiom, ‘A person is a person through other persons.’ The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. I need you in order to be me as you need me in order to be you. We are caught up in a delicate network of interconnectedness. I have gifts that you don’t, and you have gifts I don’t–voila! We are made different so that we may know our need of one another. The completely self-sufficient human being is subhuman. Thus diversity, difference is of the essence of who we are.

~Desmond Tutu, An address at University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall, February 16, 2000

Shut up more, says Tutu

"I am learning to shut up more in the presence of God."

-- Archbishop Tutu

The "Other"...Ubuntu discussed by Desmond Tutu

No, not the operating system (Ubuntu), but the theology...

"a person is a person through other persons"

Desmond Tutu on Craig Ferguson

Desmond Tutu on Craig Ferguson - part 1




Desmond Tutu on Craig Ferguson - part 2




Desmond Tutu on Craig Ferguson - part 3

Saints of God: Desmond Tutu at Calvary Church, Pittsburgh

There are many "saints of God" who are alive today, and who we can look to as models for our own discipleship. One of these saints of God would surely be Desmond Tutu...here is is speaking at Calvary Church, Pittsburgh.






Stay tuned for more examples of the "saints of God" ...

Is God a Christian? ..., Desmond Tutu

Father Jake Stops the World has a great piece on "Is God a Christian," which was a speech that Desmond Tutu gave in Pittsburgh .... It's a must read...lots of food for thought ... I really love his line, "Can anyone say to the Dalai Lama, 'You are a good guy. What a shame you are not a Christian'?" ... a challenging and helpful speech that we really need to hear and discuss...

~from Father Jake Stops the World

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu yesterday thanked Pittsburghers who worked to end apartheid in South Africa and received an unprecedented dual honorary doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

He also threw down a theological challenge on a doctrine that the worldwide Anglican Communion is threatening to split over.

In his sermon, he poked fun at the belief that only those who accept Jesus as their savior can enter heaven.

"Can you imagine that there are those who think God is a Christian?" he said to laughter from a mostly appreciative audience. "Can you tell us what God was before he was a Christian?"

...The church was filled with those who supported the archbishop's social justice concerns both now and 20 years ago, when black people couldn't enter white South African neighborhoods without a "guest worker" pass. He opened his sermon with thanks to those who had prayed, marched and gone to jail to protest apartheid.

"One of the great privileges ... is to be able to come to places such as this and say to you: We asked for your help. You gave it. We are free. Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said.

He spoke of marching side by side with rabbis and imams.

"They were all inspired by their faiths. I have yet to hear of a faith that says it's OK to be unjust," he said.

"Injustice and oppression isn't just evil, which it is. It's not just painful, which it certainly is for the victim. It's like spitting in the face of God."

He invoked his friendship with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist leader who has been exiled from his homeland for nearly 50 years. Although others would be embittered, the Dalai Lama is filled with "bubbly joyousness," he said.

"You have to be totally, totally insensitive not to know you are in the presence of someone who is holy and good."

He then asked, "Can anyone say to the Dalai Lama, 'You are a good guy. What a shame you are not a Christian'?"

Read it all HERE.

Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela convene "The Elders" - thanks be to GOD!

Will, over at "Yearns and Groans" blog has posted this item, and I feel some hope and gladness at what this group may offer us in our times of ghastliness!

"From "The Elders" website:

Despite all the ghastliness that is around, human beings are made for goodness. The ones who ought to be held in high regard are not the ones who are militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They are the ones who have a commitment to try and make the world a better place. We – The Elders – will endeavour to support those people and do our best for humanity. - Desmond Tutu

Out of deep concern for the challenges currently facing all of the people of our world, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu have convened a group of leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackling some of the world's toughest problems.

Please check out the Associated Press story about "The Elders" visit to the Sudan. Click here to read "The Elders" arrival statement.

KABKABIYA, Sudan — Former President Carter got in a shouting match Wednesday with Sudanese security services who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet with refugees from the ongoing conflict.

The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders."

"We're going to anyway!" an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."

U.N. officials told Carter's entourage the Sudanese state police could bar his way. Carter's traveling companions, billionaire businessman Richard Branson and Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, tried to ease his frustration and his Secret Service detail urged him to get into a car and leave.

"I'll tell President Bashir about this," Carter said, referring to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday. But the refugee delegates never showed up."

Read the rest of Will's post HERE.

Rev. Dr. Michael Battle on Ubuntu

Well, lots of posting today...I am avoiding unpacking and enjoying the surfing...also, it is HOT HOT HOT down here in Richmond, VA...


Here is a video clip of my thesis advisor and professor from seminary, the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle who gives a very short (1min 29seconds) description of the African theology of Ubuntu, the idea that "a person is a person through other persons." He's a wonderful person and I feel blessed to have had the chance to learn (a bit) of his wisdom over my years in seminary. He is now the Provost of the Los Angeles Cathedral. Check it out, it's pretty good...

Click HERE, to see the video clip, (posted on the Episcopal Cafe blog)...

Vanity Fair Issue on Africa - Don't Miss it

This month's (July 2007) Vanity Fair issue has a special issue on Africa that is worth a read! To catch our attention, there are 20 different covers in which some interesting pairs of people are photographed....Desmond Tutu and Brad Pitt, Madonna and Maya Angelou! Bono and Condy Rice!! It's worth a look!





Slide show: The 20 Covers
The 21 people who put their famous faces to work for this issue say it all. Annie Leibovitz paired them up on 20 different covers—shout-outs for the challenge, the promise, and the future of Africa.

Madonna's Malawi
A look at Madonna's work in Africa, including Raising Malawi, the nonprofit she co-founded. Also on VF.com: photos from Madonna's trips to Malawi and an exclusive conversation between Madonna and Harvard professor Jim Yong Kim.

At the Desert's Edge
Five years after a brutal al-Qaeda bombing in Tunisia, Christopher Hitchens explores the pressure points in one of Africa's most successful countries.

Picturing Genocide
Inspired by images of suffering in Africa, a lone Chicago woman pulls together "Darfur/Darfur," an exhibit of haunting photos by important photographers. By Evgenia Peretz.

Out of Africa
The DNA shared by the world's six-billion-plus people ultimately comes from the same place. Leading the Genographic Project, Spencer Wells traces a global debt to Africa.

Telling African Stories
Danny Glover's new production company, Louverture Films, is allowing him to work on the material that is closest to his heart, writes Austin Merrill. A VF.com exclusive.


The Lazarus Effect
AIDS is no longer a death sentence, thanks to miracle drugs. But millions still can't afford them. Enter the consumer-action strategy of (Product) Red. On the ground in Rwanda, Alex Shoumatoff learns what a difference buying (Red) can make.

Youssou N'Dour's Personal Playlist
N'Dour, the Senegalese singer, shot to world-music superstardom in the 1980s. For the Africa issue, he compiled this playlist. VF.com exclusive: Learn how to download all the songs from the iTunes Music Store.

Jeffrey Sachs's $200 Billion Dream
Extreme poverty can be eradicated, insists superstar economist Jeffrey Sachs—all it takes is determination, focus, and, well, money. In Uganda and Kenya, Nina Munk gets a tour of his ultimate battleground.

Africa: An Interactive Map
Vanity Fair's July 2007 issue captures the epic diversity of the African continent. Point your mouse at the countries on this map and you'll discover historical details, cultural items, useful links, and more.

The Africa Portfolio: Contributors
From archbishops and athletes to doctors and movie directors, the July issue's Africa portfolio (page 176) focuses on 71 people who are defying the status quo. Here are bios of the profile writers.

The Africa Issue: Online Resources
Here are dozens of sites that will help you dig deeper into the topics covered in the July issue.

The Africa Issue: Table of Contents