The great state of Tex-afornia

Desmond Tutu

Last night we went to hear a lecture by the esteemed Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. At first I was not going to go, but I realized that it isn't often you get to hear from a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We got there about 20 minutes before the lecture started (which ended up being an hour later than we thought) and got some pretty good seats. My wife, a friend and I had some good conversation until some men behind us started talking. One guy said, "I sure am glad there aren't more black people wearing that traditional African clothing. That's like me wearing something from Italy." What a goomba!

Anyways, Bishop Tutu came out and gave a great speech. He has a childlike sense of humor that can turn the most serious of adults into a playful child. He even waved a magic wand in order to get us to clap louder. He made some great points about God's love for people being the source of a human being lovable (not the other way around). Although his speech was more of a pep rally than a call to social action. I felt that the point of his speech was that evil is not the norm so as long as we keep doing what we're doing we'll be ok. I wondered, "What about sin?" I see normal people (myself included) and they are selfish, pushy, consumeristic, and apathetic. I wasn't expecting a gospel message (considering the venue, a public college), but at least some push for us lazy Americans to get off our fat butt and help the world. Anyway, with that being said, I am impressed that he had a receiving line to meet with people. He hugged about 2-3 thousand people. That is the sign of a man who deeply cares about people. In all, I would say that it was worth it. It makes me want to learn more about the man. I am ashamed to say I don't know that much.

OK. I'm Back! I found this quote on his website:
"We are a church on the move, an instrument in the hand of God, proclaiming the Good News, nurturing new converts, we are instruments of peace and reconciliation and justice in the hands of God. We are the means of healing hurts, of building community, of feeding the hungry. We are a worshipping Spirit-filled community, who know that we can do God’s work only in God’s way with God’s means, and so we have an engaged spirituality that places first things first. We are God’s partners, God’s agents of transfiguration, to change the ugliness of the world, its hatred, its hostilities, its jealousies, its hunger, its poverty, its injustice, its oppression, its alienation, its loneliness, its rivalry, its competitiveness, its grasping, its sickness, into their glorious counterparts; so that there will be laughter and joy, sharing and caring, justice, reconciliation and peace, and compassion. For we have seen the Lord high and lifted up and we have heard him say ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ and we are saying ‘Here we are Lord, send us’."

(Archbishop Tutu’s Charge to Synod, 1992)

Well, off to go camping. Have a great weekend!

posted by Kevin @ 9:56 AM