Desmond Tutu, retired archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, worked tirelessly for decades to bring an end to systematic racial injustice in his country. His unwavering faith in God’s justice, even in fearful times, reminds me of Paul’s advice to the Philippians.
A prayer written by Archbishop Tutu is included in our Lutheran hymnal, “Goodness Is Stronger than Evil” (ELW 721). (It’s also included in Tutu’s 1996 African Prayer Book, a wonderful collection of prayers from across the continent and across the centuries.) And in that prayer, we are reassured:
Love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness…through God who loves us.
Yes, as the archbishop wrote, goodness is stronger than evil. We know that Archbishop Tutu’s faith in God’s justice was not misplaced. We know that our faith in God’s love is not misplaced. And that faith, that sure and certain faith, gives us strength and courage, even in fearful times.
This message is excerpted from “Sure and certain faith gives us strength and courage” by Audrey Novak Riley from the August 31, 2020, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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