Archbishop Tutu: God Seeks to Persuade Unwilling Partners

CHICAGO, IL (March 27, 2003) - A God whose dreams are held hostage to the whims of unwilling human partners may not be the image most Christians have in mind, but that is the picture of God that Archbishop Desmond Tutu painted as he addressed several hundred people attending a luncheon in support of Lawrence Hall Youth Services on Wednesday.

A number of Evangelical Covenant Church leaders were part of a capacity crowd that listened attentively as the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient challenged the audience to consider the roll God asks each of us to play as he invites us to join him in his work. (For background information on Archbishop Tutu, read Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

"One of the extraordinary things is that we have a God, the omnipotent one, who created all that is without our help. Yet, the paradox is that this omnipotent one is impotent - this God wants to wait on humans to collaborate with God on what God wants to do. God is quite willing to jeopardize his projects because God is willing to wait. He seeks to persuade unwilling partners."

With an impish sense of humor that delighted his listeners, Tutu recalled well known encounters of Old Testament characters with the omnipotent one, providing his own unique and somewhat irreverent spin on the familiar tales.

"Hi, Moses. Hi, God. Moses, I want you to go down to Egypt and free my people. You've got to be kidding, God. I escaped because Pharaoh wanted to kill me, and you say I am to do what?"

Tutu next recounted God's conversation with Jeremiah. God wanted him to become a prophet, but Jeremiah knew what that meant - a dangerous job in the Israel of that day. Jeremiah hesitates - "he's too young," he tells God. "God then says something extraordinary: before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. You're not an afterthought. You have been part of the divine plan from all eternity."

Broadening the story's application to include his audience, Tutu paraphrases God's response, declaring "you're not an accident" (though some of us may look like one, he wryly observes). "We have been part of God's plan for all eternity. God waits for a partner so that God can accomplish his work. Consider the challenge of feeding the hungry of this world, for example. God doesn't send hamburgers floating down from heaven; rather, the hungry are fed because we partner with God.

"There is injustice and oppression," Tutu continued. "Yet, God doesn't send lightning bolts to strike the perpetrators. God waits until a Martin Luther King Jr. or a Rosa Parks or others are available to become partners in the civil rights movement. God wanted to end apartheid in South Africa. He didn't shoot them (the guilty) down. He waited for a Nelson Mandela to partner with God - and (pointing to those in the audience) he waited for you, and you, and you to help bring an end to apartheid in South Africa."

Noting that many people expected to see conflict and violence erupt as the move away from apartheid commenced, "they were amazed to see before their eyes a miracle - the willingness to forgive those who had treated them like rubbish. God says there is so much wrong in my world - it is a wilderness - and he seeks partners to turn that wilderness into a garden."

In an apparent reference to the current conflict in Iraq, the archbishop said that "God looks down and sees our inhumanity to one another and God weeps - he weeps - to see us reigning bombs on those who are precious in the sight of God. God weeps and waits for partners - you and I - to collaborate with God so that God's dream of the lion lying down with the lamb, God's dream of turning swords into plowshares and spearheads into pruning hooks - that dream will come true."

Applauding all of the work many are doing to reach out to the needy and hurting of the world, Tutu suggested that such efforts help "wipe the tears from the face of God. And God may smile and say they have vindicated my decision to create that lot. God will say, aren't they cool! Aren't they neat! They have helped me create a part of my dream. One day we will know we are part of a family - God's family. We will know that people who die in war are not just casualties, but they are my brothers, my family.

"Jesus Christ said if I be lifted up, I will draw all, all, all - red, yellow, black and white, rich and poor, gay, lesbian and straight - all will be held in this incredible embrace of God. All, all, all - Sharon, Arafat; all, all, all - Catholic, Protestant and Jew; all, all, all - George Bush, Saddam Hussein; all, all, all belong to God. One day He will say, you helped me realize my dream. And you all are my sisters and brothers - my family."

Following a standing ovation, Tutu was presented with Lawrence Hall's Champion of Children Award presented by Maggie Daley, wife of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who borrowed the words used to describe the archbishop during the 1984 Nobel award presentation in closing her remarks: "He is a representative of the best in all of us . . . he is a true partner with God."

(Editor's note: Lawrence Hall Youth Services is a not-for-profit child welfare agency established in 1865 to assist at-risk youth and their families, to develop a sense of self-worth and to develop the knowledge and skills needed for the young people to lead independent and productive lives. It is part of Episcopal Charities and Community Services in the Diocese of Chicago. More information is available by visiting its website at www.lawrencehall.org.)

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