God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is my honor to invite our entire Diocese to read Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 2004 book, God Has a Dream -- a "One Book" selection recommended by the Committee on Lifelong Christian Formation. Following the pattern of previous book discussions, various clergy and lay leaders will, in future weeks, post their reflections on different chapters. We are all invited to respond and engage the Archbishop's thoughts, our invited writers' commentaries and all of the contributors to this blog.

It's a small book; humble and simple enough as to be accessible to all sorts and conditions of readers; courageous and powerful enough as to challenge the strongest and wisest among us. Tutu calls it the "cumulative expression of [his] life's work." Above all, it is a book about the dream of God that changes the world that God so loves through the people that God so calls.

There is a wonderful word in the first paragraph of the Introduction (on page viii) that carries with it the great hope of the Archbishop's vision. That word is, "transfigurable." For most people, most of the time, reality is hard, settled and unchangeable. But Tutu asserts that the real world is "in the grips of transformation;" that is, transfigurable. The most unlikely persons; the most improbable situations; the most impossible circumstances -- all of these are transfigurable by the glory-making power of God's love in Jesus Christ. The 'old, old story' of Jesus and his love tells of a Savior who came and stretched out his arms on the hard wood (reality) of the cross that the whole world might be embraced by transformation. No one is beyond that reach; nothing is non-transfigurable. Even at the grave, we make our song: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.    

So, watch this location. Read the comments. Add your own. Engage the questions in "Postscript II" (pages 133-146). Add your own. Don't hold back. I pray that we will see some lively exchanges that expand our minds and enrich our hearts. Let's us read your strong opinions, brothers and sisters. We are New Jersey, after all. You know?

Read this book. Live this dream.

Faithfully yours,

+George Councell
Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey