Comments on: Professor Andrew Suderman on ‘Lessons learned from Tutu’

By: Earl Martin

Earl Martin — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 02:53:40 +0000

We never met Bishop Tutu, but Pat’s parents (working in a seminary in Nigeria) and brother Darrel (worked in Swaziland) met him several times. So when Pat and I edited a collection of reflections of international workers called, “World Winds,” we wrote Tutu and asked him if he would consider writing a foreward to the book. We expected, at best, a return letter asking more details and due dates and so forth. Instead, to our surprise and delight, the return mail from him was the foreward itself! He blessed us and the book by saying “Thanks be to God for “World Winds: Meditations from the Blessed of the Earth” which help us to tune in to God’s wavelength.”

By: Harlan de Brun

Harlan de Brun — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:02:53 +0000

Many of the 91��Ƶ CCs that I led ( 2005-2012) had meaningful encounters with Archbishop Tutu. After the first time I met Tutu, he extended an invitation to bring any future CCs to meet him at St. George’s Cathedral for communion and that we did!

91��Ƶ Close Encounters with Archbishop Tutu 2005 -2012
The story began much earlier when I witnessed an enthusiastic crowd gathered around a small, but compelling man at the Bloemfontein Airport. It flashed through my mind that this could be Desmond Tutu. I knew he had been Archbishop of Lesotho at one time.
Taking a chance, I called out in Sesotho, “Dumela Ntate Tutu! U phela joang? ” He immediately wheeled around and called me over. When I explained that I was Mennonite, he grinned and said with a grin of familiarity, “The Peace Church, they are always doing great work.” He then invited me and the 91��Ƶ students to meet him personally for communion. He officiates the services at St. George’s Cathedral in Capetown, South Africa.

That was the original encounter that led to many more. Two that come to mind as outstanding and memorable events were when the 91��Ƶ students attended a communion service at St. George’s. A young lady in a wheelchair was pushed up to the altar to receive communion . A pregnant pause followed. Several of my male students, realizing that she could not ascend to the altar to receive communion, immediately stood up and looked at me. I nodded in approval to communicate: go ahead. Four of them lifted and carried the young lady in her wheelchair up the steps to the altar. Tutu bowed and thanked them. After, she was carefully carried down the steps from the altar with tears in her eyes. After this moving experience Archbishop Tutu asked us to meet and talk with him over tea in the church coffee shop.

The second event also took place at St. George’s Cathedral which is renowned for its great acoustics. As the cathedral was empty, we decided to sing, 606 , “Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow.” The Archbishop heard us and came from his office. He exclaimed, “I thought it was angels singing!” He then extended an invitation for us to sing at Sunday’s service. Unfortunately, to all of our regrets, we had to leave.. These events left the CC students with an enduring and meaningful experience which made quite an impact on them.

–Harlan de Brun, former crosscultural leader

By: Ms. Joyce E. Weaver

Ms. Joyce E. Weaver — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 23:56:54 +0000

Thank you for the encouragement for me to move toward reconciliation between the two political perspectives in the USA. Your capsule of Tutu’s perspective brings to mind the concept of finding “the third way” which the Church of the Brethren “On Earth Peace” organization along with others have been proposing while working towards reconciliation.
If : me = @,
and # = them, we
come together, talk, listen exquisitely,
@ /\ & . We can develop a third way
“_ ”
Now we can work together: ^
/_\
(I have not found a tech method to make a triangle!, so connect the lines), now we have a way, new to both sides, with all party’s commited to “the third way”, the way toward
“. . . .A better expression of God’s desired justice and peace now in this world”, to use your fitting phrase.
In rereading your words I see I may be missing Tutu’s basis of developing relationships between persons, … .
I do need to learn more!
How do I join the discussion of Tutu’s lessons?
Thank you for sharing these 3 lessons,

Joyce Weaver, (71)