The God who existed before any religion counts on you to make the oneness of the human family known and celebrated.
Interpretation
Desmond Tutu emphasizes the importance of recognizing and celebrating human unity beyond religious boundaries.
In this quote, Desmond Tutu suggests that the divine presence predates religion and relies on humanity to acknowledge and honor the interconnectedness of all people. He calls for a celebration of the shared humanity that transcends religious affiliations, highlighting our collective responsibility to foster understanding and unity within the global family.
In practice
In a speech focused on community building, this quote can serve to inspire collective effort for peace.
The fossil reserves that have already been discovered exceed what can ever be safely used. Yet companies spend half a trillion dollars each year searching for more fuel. They should redirect this money toward developing clean energy solutions
As much as the world has an instinct for evil and is a breeding ground for genocide, holocaust, slavery, racism, war, oppression, and injustice, the world has an even greateer instinct for goodness, rebirth, mercy, beauty, truth, freedom and love.
When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.
Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham and humbug for what they are.
Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.
Gaza is going to test who believes in the worth of human beings.
I was a victim of a stereotype. There were only two of us Negro kids in the whole class, and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry. Well, everybody knows - except us - that all Negroes have rhythms, so they elected me class poet.
Maybe that's all demons ever are. People like us, doing things without even knowing what we're doing.
Longing is a compass that guides us through life. We may never get what we really want, that's true, but every step along the way will be determined by it.
Such is of the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.
Even matter called inorganic, believed to be dead, responds to irritants and gives unmistakable evidence of a living principle within. Everything that exists, organic or inorganic, animated or inert, is susceptible to stimulus from the outside.
Any system which says, This is a rotten world, wait for the next, give up, do nothing, succumb--that may be the basic Lie and if we participate in believing it and acting (or rather not acting) on it we involve ourselves in the Lie and suffer dreadfully... which only reinforces that particular Lie.
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