GreyDoveTravels

The Afrikans word "apartheid" means "to be holy" or "to be set apart." Established as a community following the Boer War, Afrikaners with the support of the British developed the system of racial segregation and oppression known as apartheid. A system that was implemented and enforced by numerous acts and laws that institutionalized racial discrimination and ensured the dominance of white people over people of other races. Apartheid was distinguished from segregation practiced in other countries by the systematic ways it was formalized in law. Apartheid became a comprehensive legislative project only after the National Party came into power in 1948. However, it was preceded by many statutes established by previous British and Afrikaner administrations in South Africa's provinces. Archbishop Tutu's spiritual leadership was instrumental in exposing the evils of apartheid through his  resistance to seeing an apartheid state as a city of God, which it ...

Ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-tu ) is an African concept of personhood in which the identity of the self is understood to be formed interdependently through community. The word ubuntu comes from the Sub-Saharan languages known as Bantu. Ubuntu is the interdependence of persons for the exercise, development, and fulfillment of their potential to be both individuals and community. Archbishop Tutu's theology of ubuntu is complex, but ultimately he describes ubuntu as hospitality, an open and welcoming attitude that is willing to share, to be generous and caring. Ubuntu is the development of the kind of character in a person who proves a neighbor to a stranger and welcomes them as friends. Ubuntu forms knowledge that human existence is caught up and inextricably bound up with God's creation and that a solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. "I need other persons," Tutu concludes, "to become a person myself."

On August 15 I depart for Cape Town South Africa and the incredibly exciting opportunity to participate in the Walk With Archbishop Tutu Travel Seminar . The seminar is led by the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, a deeply gifted theologian and scholar who was ordained and married by the Archbishop and was his chaplain for two years. Dr. Battle's children were also baptized by "The Arch".  Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Anglican Archbishop, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and served as chair of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate apartheid-era crimes. After the commission's work was complete the Archbishop became the chair of The Elders, where he gave vocal defense of human rights and campaigns for the oppressed, worldwide. Please follow my blog as I further describe the Archbishop's work and theology and how it very much relates to the work that we are all doing to spread God's Word and Peace in our community. Your comments and questio...

Well, as you all know by now, I am back in Ft. Walton Beach - I am not in Italy. I had a bit of a tumble on the General Theological Seminary flagstone path and waded through two ER visits and five days of preaching tutorials. It seemed the wisest thing to return home and to be among my friends. Rest assured I am fine. Just a bit embarrassed. The class, Fresh Expressions in Preaching was suburb. I am so grateful to have been with Dr. Lisa Weaver (standing next to me) and Dr. Hillary Raining (in the white shirt). Their coaching tips on the sermons that we had to write, and deliver were invaluable. Stay tuned as I experiment with you all in my next sermon on July 10. By the way, I am now officially through my second year of the three-year doctoral program - wow!

This coming Sunday, June 12, I leave for the first leg of my summer travels - a week of intensive study at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. The week will focus on Preaching with Fresh Expression and bring me just a little bit closer to the close of my Doctor of Ministry Studies. The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and a leading center of theological education in the Anglican Communion. I have never been to the campus before - all other classes have been online due to Covid restrictions. I am really looking forward being on campus and to meeting my classmates in person and having time to chat with them face to face. Most of all - don't laugh - I am looking forward to some good NYC food and wandering the streets window shopping in the many boutiques and street stalls. Please pray that I don't spend too much money. I will be...

My new blog, Grey Dove Travels, will highlight my upcoming adventures this coming summer and early fall. It's an exciting time for me - God willing and Covid not raging, I will be able to experience some of the world's most historic sites. I begin with a trip to Italy. A brief stay in Milan, home of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" fresco, and then I go on to Ravenna, home to stunning mosaics depicting early Christian history, and also my father's hometown. The mosaics found in Ravenna's Cathedral of San Vitale are some of the most spectacular mosaics that remain intact. They are Byzantine in style and were commissioned by the Emperor Justinian. The 6th century church is an important surviving example of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture. It is one of eight structures in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.   Basilica San Vitale During my few days in Milan I will visit many places but spend most of my time at Duomo di Milan, t...