The Knock

Desmond Tutu, Photo by Jesse Tinsley

This past weekend, we had the privilege of traveling as a family to Spokane, Washington, to watch our niece, Erin, graduate from Gonzaga University. The graduation was held on Sunday, Mother’s Day, and the keynote speaker was Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was an honor to hear Tutu speak, especially since he has been retired for years and hasn’t accepted any speaking engagement requests. He more than made up for his short stature through his vibrant, youth-like personality, and this 80-year-old South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate mesmerized the packed Spokane Arena in a way that made my heart feel like it was going to burst out of my chest.  

He delivered his talk without notes of any kind, and started off by acknowledging the over 11,000 students, parents, and faculty present. Then, the good stuff. Even though he was addressing the graduates of Gonzaga, class of 2012, I felt as if he were talking to each one of us, individually. He spoke of God. He spoke of Jesus. He spoke of Mary’s answer to God’s request, in the form of a knock-knock verse in his soft, melodious voice. “Knock knock. Who’s there? Arch Angel . Arch Angel Who?” Tutu then described the utter shock and disbelief Mary must have felt upon hearing the news that the angel brought her, and how she accepted her destiny as the handmaiden of the Lord. “Each one of us is indispensible,” Tutu whispered.  He said that God knew us before we were formed in the womb, and to each of us he has given a special task on earth to perform. “That means you, you, you, you, you, and you,” he said as he pointed to various people in the crowd. ”You are indispensible.” 

He shifted gears and began speaking of unity. Unity of all, no matter our differences. Unity because God created all. We are all part of God’s family. “Black, white, and yellow. All,” he said with outstretched arms.”Male and female. All. Gay, lesbian, and the so-call straight. All. All. All. All. All. All,” he proclaimed to resounding cheers, as he encircled his arms as if to bring us all together. 

Then, when I thought my heart couldn’t swell up into my throat any more, he said something that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I don’t know if it was because of the intensity in his face, the quiet tone of his voice, or God’s light that surrounded his every word and expression. He said that it is only through human intervention that God can do anything in the world. God doesn’t “rain hamburgers from the sky.” We must feed the hungry. We must heal the sick. We must be the sounding board for the person who is going through a difficult time. You could hear a pin drop in the enormous stadium when he said slowly, and in a very quiet voice, “And God says, ‘Help Me. Help Me. Help Me. Help Me.’” We are His hands and feet. We are the ones who must take action. We are indispensible because we have a task that we were given, unique unto ourselves. One we are called to fulfill. How will we answer the Knock?