Desmond Tutu-- Repentance and Forgiveness

Background Check:
Throughout the 1900s South Africa had a government run by those who were racially white, even though the majority of the people were black. Blacks were typically accepting of whites in general, but they wanted to see some changes made in the government. The blacks wanted to be able to vote, they wanted to be able to live without fear, they wanted to have equal police with the whites. Different organizations of blacks were created to get the government to change. But the South African government determined not only that they would oppose these black organizations, but that they would attack, torture and kill those who are participating in those organizations. This oppression of the blacks was called apartheid.

His Story:

A black man named Desmond Tutu was raised in South Africa amidst these injustices. But rather than focusing on protests and violence in response to the government, he would pray and seek God for His justice. He studied in London and became a priest and then a bishop in the Anglican Church. After he became a bishop, Desmond began writing letters to the government calling on them to repent from their evil actions. The government ignored the letters. Then Desmond traveled all over the world to convince other governments and corporations to stop supporting the South African government and its violent policies against blacks. Many governments listened to Desmond and refused to have dealings with the South African government.

At this point, the Anglican church made a radical step. They made Desmond Tutu Archbishop over all of South Africa—in charge of the whole official church in South Africa. This made the South African government infuriated, but there was nothing they could do. Many whites hated Desmond and would call him up to threaten him. He would bless them in Jesus’ name and hang up.

Then, in 1989, a new president was elected in South Africa, Francis de Klerk. Because of how South Africa had suffered under the violence and economic instability under apartheid, de Klerk determined that there needed to be a change. He made it possible for black people to vote and released many black dissidents from prison. Thus, at the next election, an all-black government was elected.

It would have made sense for the new government to do what many other governments had done who were oppressed—to hurt or kill the oppressors. However, the new president, Nelson Mandela, appointed Desmond Tutu over a committee to determine how to respond to the oppressors. Under Desmond’s guidance, the committee was called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They would listen to the stories of oppression from blacks. Then they would bring in the whites who committed the tortures, violence and acts of hatred. They encouraged the whites to tell the truth, to confess their sin and that they would then be pardoned. Many whites accepted this, and fully spoke the truth before the whole country. They were then forgiven for their sins and allowed to leave freely. To have all of the confessions and pardons took twenty seven months. But in the end, many whites and blacks were reconciled and South Africa was able to exist as a country which welcomed both whites and blacks.

WWJD
Jesus saw his people, both white and black, suffering under aparthaid, and he saw many people doing evil in Jesus’ name, both white and black under this regime of terror. Jesus chose Desmond—already one who knew how to suffer—to make peace among his people. Even as Jesus sought the sinner and called them to repentance, so did Jesus call Desmond to accomplish the same work.

The Final Word (of Men)
Desmond Tutu is still the leader of the Anglican church of South Africa today. He is one of the most respected clergy alive today.

A Word From Our Sponsor:
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times and says, “I repent” you must forgive him. Luke 17:3-4

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15

Helpful Hint: Loving the Unlovable

All of the faithful were hated or attacked at one time or another. But when it happened, they remembered what Jesus said: “Love your enemies.” So they would pray for their enemies and do good to them whenever they had need. Menno Simons taught all the Anabaptists to pray for the rulers that were persecuting them. Therese would find something good to say to those who complained about her. Martin Luther King prayed for the very whites who attacked him. They were consistent in loving—even those who were unloveable.

Check It Out:
Tutu: Voice for the Voiceless by Shelley Du Bois

Jim and Elisabeth Elliot-- Sacrificing for the Gospel

Background Check:
The Christians in the United States in the mid-1900s were focused on giving the gospel to two groups of people: youth and other nations. In churches all over the U.S. there were many who were encouraged to participate in “missions”, that is, outreach to countries other than the U.S. There was also a number of rallies for youth to teach them to make a commitment to Christ. Thousands of youth believed in Jesus and went to Bible schools to learn more about Jesus. However, many of these youth grew to be people who were only halfway committed to Christ—believing in Jesus, but having little commitment or willingness to sacrifice themselves for the gospel.

Their Story:

Jim Elliot was a young man in Portland, Oregon. He had everything going for him—he was handsome and athletic. He was smart and good at schoolwork. He could have done anything he wanted to in life. But he chose to dedicate himself to giving the gospel of Jesus to those who had never heard it before. He was very strict on himself, disciplining his body and mind so that he would be better equipped to share the gospel. He knew that he would be in difficult terrain to walk, so he exercised regularly to make himself fit. He traveled across the country to study the Bible so he could better explain it. He would evangelize at local rallies they had for youth. And he gathered companions around him who were as dedicated as he to go to places where Jesus had never been named.

He also determined not to get married. Being married, he thought, would limit his ability to preach the gospel. His companions, though, convinced him that if he were married, that he would be better equipped to preach the gospel. It so happens there was already a girl he was interested in, back in Portland. Her name was Elizabeth and she was as dedicated to Jesus as he was. Elizabeth was thinking that she would teach the gospel to women in other countries as a single woman. But as she and Jim wrote letters over time they both realized that they loved each other and that God’s plan for them would be better served together. So as they finished their preparations, they were married.

The missions agency they were with sent them down to the jungles of South America, where almost no one had been before. There, they studied languages, especially Indian ones that might give them the opportunity to speak to Indian tribes that had never heard the gospel before. As their language study progressed, they decided to contact an Indian tribe that could only be reached by airplane. Jim and a few of his companions went to visit the area. They didn’t meet anyone there, but they knew they were being watched. They visited the area again, and then swarms of tribesmen, ready for war attacked them and killed everyone—Jim and all of his companions.

Elizabeth and the wives of the companions were heartbroken. God had taken them all of this way and they worked so hard, for what? The news of the martyred missionaries was sent back to the United States and was put in the newspapers. But the wives of the martyrs weren’t finished with missions yet.

Elizabeth wrote the story of the missionaries in a book and it became very famous. Then Elizabeth and another one of the wives decided to go back to South America and attempt to work with the tribe that had killed their husbands again. This time, with a more careful approach, they were successful. It took twenty years or more, but the tribe that had killed Jim Elliot became Christians. One of the men who had killed her husband went up to Elizabeth and wept, apologizing for his action. She forgave him and he began to follow Jesus.

The Final Word (of Men)
Jim Elliot’s martyrdom was famous in the United States. Many were shocked that such “savages” still existed. Some felt that such “backward” peoples should be destroyed. But many more were shocked at Jim Elliot’s faith and commitment to love others. A saying by Jim Elliot became famous among American Christians: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Thousands were inspired by the story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot and decided to take the gospel to those who had never heard it before like them.

A Word From Our Sponsor:
You will be hated by everyone for my name’s sake. But whoever endures to the end will be saved. Mark 13:13
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28

Helpful Hint: Sacrificing Oneself for Love

Often the faithful would do what was dangerous to themselves or give away everything they had. It is not enough to just love, they would say, it is essential to love sacrificially. The Bible says that we need to love with all that we have, not just to take one part of ourselves to love. If that is the case, then all that we have and all that we are should be at the disposal of others, for their needs. Paul would teach the truth of Jesus, even though he knew that he would be beaten for it. Jim Elliot was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of those who had not heard the gospel. Michael Sattler was willing to be tortured and die for the sake of Jesus, even when he was being killed in the name of Jesus. To be faithful, it is not enough to love—you have to give up your whole self.

Check It Out:
Through Gates Of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot
The Journals of Jim Elliot
My Enemy, My Savage by Elizabeth Elliot
Also, check out the new film, “End of the Spear” which tells the story of Jim Elliot from the perspective of one of the tribe that killed Jim Elliot