Tuesday 13 September 2016

The Book of Forgiving - Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu

Desmond Tutu is an Archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chair of The Elders, and was Chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. All of these things mean he is eminently qualified to speak from his life experiences.

The fact that he writes all his books, merely as Desmond Tutu, the human, also speaks volumes.

This one, he has written with his daughter, Mpho.

Both speak honestly and emotionally about their journeys.

"...we are all broken. Out of that brokenness, we hurt others. Forgiveness is the journey we take towards healing the broken parts."


So why did it take a group of Texans, who rave about this book, written in my country, by my people, for my people, to finally convince me to pick it up? I don't know, but I'm glad I finally did.
It isn't easy to read. There is pain on every page. And if you follow the advice, it means confronting some of your own pain, so that you can release it and move forward.

Although the framework is Christian, the book is written with a wider appeal - you won't find this a study of the Bible, but a true account of experiences. Real stories, raw pain, and honest journeys.

"There is no end to the creative ways we humans can find to hurt each other. And no end to the reasons we feel justified in doing so. There is also no end to the human capacity for healing. In each of this, there is an innate ability to create joy out of suffering, to find hope in the most hopeless of situations. And to heal any relationship."

And that, in essence, is why I enjoyed this so much. We are human, which means, there is hope.

An important read that has the potential to transform lives.

5 stars

ISBN: 9780062203564

You may also enjoy I'm sick: Now what? by Dr Andrew Butterworth, or Experience the Impossible by Bill Johnson.


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