Desmond Tutu – Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Evil
Here in South Africa we have an important week ahead of us. Our 7th democratic elections take place on Wednesday, and there is much buzz around the country about what’s going to happen – is the now corrupt ANC going to finally lose its footing, so that our country can begin rebuilding, or are we in for another season of failed promises and further damage?
Those of you who watched my Encounter session last night will have spent some time with me praying around this, and praising God who is the God of South Africa. And so this week I wanted to do something a bit different in our devotions, and I want to share quotes from some of our country’s most respected theologians and spiritual leaders, and see what God might be teaching us through them on this important occasion.
I want to start with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, famous clergyman and anti-apartheid activist. Now, to be honest, I’m not a great Tutu fan – I think a lot of his theology is unbiblical and warped. But, as the saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and there is a quote of his that I really like, which I think is very powerful:
“Forgiving and being reconciled to our enemies or our loved ones are not about pretending that things are other than they are. It is not about patting one another on the back and turning a blind eye to the wrong. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the hurt, the truth. It could even sometimes make things worse. It is a risky undertaking but in the end it is worthwhile, because in the end only an honest confrontation with reality can bring real healing. Superficial reconciliation can bring only superficial healing.”
Confront Evil Honestly
Obviously he was referring to the horrors of Apartheid. Tutu was very involved in the “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” in the mid-90s in which the perpetrators of the worst crimes in Apartheid were given the opportunity to confess, receive forgiveness, and make amend to their victims.
I think Tutu’s words are powerful. Turning a blind eye to wrong in the name of forgiveness is not helpful. Jesus never did that, he never turned a blind eye to wrong, he confronted sin and evil. Yes, he offered forgiveness to those who were seeking it, and welcomed those who acknowledged their sin humbly and sought a new start, but he never blindly ignored evil and proclaimed that all was ok when it wasn’t.
Here in South Africa, we are longing for leaders who will confront evil rather than perpetuate it. But make it personal for a second. Is there a situation where you have been ‘turning a blind eye’ to evil? Is there a place where you might expose abuse, hurt, and truth rather than let it carry on?
Tutu was the face of forgiveness in our country – not holding the sins of the past against its perpetrators, but offering mercy for those seeking it. But he believed, as he said in that quote, that “only an honest confrontation with reality can bring real healing. Superficial reconciliation can bring only superficial healing.”
Confront Evil Courageously
Perhaps it is time for us to be honest, and confront evil however we can in the name of God. Perhaps it’s time to challenge those who abuse and hurt.
And here’s a radical thought: how about honestly confronting sinful things in ourselves, so that we can find healing?
As we vote on Wednesday we are hoping for a change in our country, but let’s begin with ourselves, and the world around us, offering forgiveness and mercy, but never turning a blind eye to evil that should be confronted and challenged.
