Ubuntu Revisited

Robben Island Prison Cell of Nelson Mandela

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3: 12-13 New International Version (NIV)

I just finished reading the latest book by Desmond Tutu written that confronts the difficult subject of Forgiving.   This is a guidebook as noted in the title, The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World.  We are given examples, exercises to practice  and methods of reflection.   The underlying response is our interconnectedness also known as ubuntu.

We are harmed together, and we heal together. It is only in this fragile web of relationship that we rediscover our purpose, meaning, and joy after pain and loss.

When we visited the prison at Robben Island, we felt the reality of that imprisonment.   The good news is that we also experienced the reality of the healing and remembered the joy of release!  The journey to joy is about forgiving and being forgiven!

Another way of thinking about forgiveness is as a need for a “cosmic pardon”!   We are all imprisoned by anger, regret and now we can receive a new freedom.  For Christians, we celebrate this healing forgiveness as the central message of Easter.

Marvin

References

Tutu, Desmond; Tutu, Mpho (2014-03-18). The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World . HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Hage, M. L. (2012). Rx Ubuntu. Retrieved from http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2012/04/rx-ubuntu.html

Tutu, Desmond; Tutu, Mpho (2014-03-18). The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (p. 104). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.