Prior to coming to the Graduate Theological Union, my husband and I traveled to the Kingdom of Swaziland on behalf of the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. On the day of the formal vote, the Africa Area Executive wrote in a cryptic note on a napkin, “What does God have in mind?” Our job description simply read, “John and Tamara Nichols Rodenberg have been called to serve as an ecumenical presence with Kukhany’Okusha Zion Church (an African Instituted Church).”

After all of my undergraduate and seminary education, I thought to myself, “What kind of job description is that?” What could be the value of going to a place and being there without doing something, something noteworthy to combat poverty, to assault the pandemic of AIDS, to confront the systems of injustice. How could we make a difference by just being a presence? In hindsight, I have learned that there is an inescapable truth to the statement that “showing up is half the battle.” 

…As I begin to answer the question, “How do we become communities of ecumenical dialogue?” I believe the answer is deeply imbedded in our ability and willingness to be present with one another. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of my heros in the modern era, tirelessly preached a message of unity in the African sense of ubuntu. Ubuntu, roughly translated, means that my life is inextricably linked and bound up with your life; we can only be human beings together. Archbishop Tutu taught under the forces of apartheid that there is no hope of knowing true peace, no hope of lasting healing, no hope of becoming communities of dialogue and no hope of experiencing even the most basic forms of justice without one another… 

We can answer the question, “Why become communities of dialogue?” with the resounding affirmation that we are meant for one another. We are not complete without one another. This affirmation suggests that we are created for a greater purpose than to live in the midst of disunity and division. We are created for greater purpose than to accept the realities of unacceptable destruction and unthinkable war. This affirmation suggests that diversity is intentional. Through multi-cultural and religious diversity, we discover, in fact, for the first time, who we are as authentic, wonderfully created human beings in relationship with one another…

I celebrate the Graduate Theological Union’s focus on developing a public and united voice that is shaped by intentional diversity. I celebrate the presence of the Asia Project, the Center for Jewish Studies, the vision for Center for Islamic Studies and many others. I celebrate the call to prepare leaders and teachers who are formed by multicultural and interdisciplinary relationships. I celebrate all of those who are graduates today as we begin to fill this uniform.

What does God have in mind? I believe that God is asking us to “show up!” God is asking us to be an intentional presence. In the 21^st century, intentional presence is the beginning of relationship. Relationship is the beginning of dialogue. Finally, becoming communities of dialogue is the source of hope for a world such as this in a time such as ours.

God bless you all.