God's Dream

by Desmond Tutu

A solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. We say in Africa a person is a person through other persons. We are made for togetherness, for friendship, for fellowship. We are created to live in a delicate network of interdependence and we are different precisely in order to know our need of one another. I have gifts that you don't and you have gifts that I don't have, and God you could almost hear saying, "Voila." No one can be totally self-sufficient, the totally self-sufficient human being is subhuman. ...

What does the Bible say quite categorically? It says our worth is intrinsic. It comes with the package. It is part of being human. It does not depend on who or what we are. It belongs to all without distinction. And it is the wonderful assertion that each one of us is created in the image of God. Fantastic. Each one of us is God's representative, God's viceroy. God's stand-in. Each one of us is a God-carrier, since we are each a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each one - everyone, whether we are rich or poor, beautiful or not so beautiful, red, white, yellow, black, young, or old, clever, or not so clever, our worth is intrinsic, our worth is infinite. And to treat one such as if they were less than human is not only evil, which it undoubtedly is; is not only painful as it certainly turns out to be for its victims. No it is all these things but more, it is blasphemous for it is really spitting in the face of God and we who are believers have no option - in the face of this evil and blasphemy we cannot be even neutral. ...

God dreams that we will come to realise that we are family, the human family, God's family, made up of all sorts and conditions of people. ...

All are insiders. Jesus said, I if I be lifted up will draw all, not some, all to me - black and white, red and yellow, rich and poor, Christian, Jew, Muslim, pagan, atheist, Hindu, all, old and young, male and female, gay, lesbian and so-called straight, all belong in his family. ... [Here, Archbishop Tutu extended his arms out to full breadth, and emphasised over and over the word ALL.]

God dreams that we would realise that we are family caring for one another as family, sharing with one another as family, concerned for one another as family, appalled that members of our family could wallow in poverty and squalor without clean drinking water, and adequate health care, enough to eat when we have the capacity to feed them.

We have the means to ensure that all God's children, our brothers and sisters do have clean water to drink, enough food to eat and enjoy good education and adequate health care. Peace can come for all when we live as God's family.

And God says, "Please help me to realise my dream, please."

[COVENANT, Number 20, April 2005]

Adapted from a speech by Archbishop Desmond Tutu before 4,000 people in Burlington, VT, recently to receive honourary degrees from the University of Vermont and Saint Michael College.