Reviewed by Kate Kim

Desmond Tutu packs a punch with God Has A Dream. My book was soaked with highlights and accessorized with fluorescent tabs. It's a short read but takes time to process and fully absorb the richness of his words. The direct but loving way he communicates simple truths often required me to pause and reflect on all his teachings.

Tutu elegantly writes about God's unchanging and majestic character, the importance of social and communal harmony, and the hope God has for each of us (even in our own pain and suffering). Written by someone who experienced first hand the cruelties of apartheid and the gift of redemption that comes from reconciliation, this book gives me hope in humanity and in God's greater purpose for His people. I can read and re-read for many years to come.

Favorite Quote

"In Africa recognition of our interdependence is called ubuntu in Hguni languages…It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong. It speaks about wholeness; it speaks about compassion…Such people are open and available to others, willing to be vulnerable, affirming of others, do not feel threatened that others are able and good, for they have a proper self -assurance that comes from knowing that they belong in a greater whole. They know that they are diminished when others are humiliated, diminished when others are oppressed, diminished when others are treated as if they were less than who they are. The quality of ubuntu gives people resilience, enabling them to survive and emerge still human despite all efforts to dehumanize them."

Key Takeaway

I appreciated how Tutu defined true reconciliation. "Confession, forgiveness, and reparation, wherever feasible, form part of a continuum. Sincerity of confession and remorse and accepting responsibility for our part in the rupture of the relationship." He also spoke about the importance of reparations whenever possible. All of this made sense in the context of racial justice but he goes beyond that and emphasizes reconciliation on an individual level. He provides relatable examples of personal relationships that often need healing and describes how this is no different from the reconciliation that needs to happen on a global scale.

This book convicted me to consider how I can intentionally achieve reconciliation with my own family members that have been characterized by resentment and pain for over a quarter of a century. How can I pursue and advocate for racial reconciliation when I am not practicing this in my own home with the people I claim to love and engage with on a daily basis?