The Sunflower

Desmond Tutu responds from his position as head of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to expose crimes committed under the apartheid regime. He tells of stories he has heard of atrocities and of times when he has witnessed victims publicly express forgiveness to the perpetrators. By example, he points out Nelson Mandela, who suffered bodily for over 30 years in prison, and who then invited his jailer to attend his presidential inauguration as his personal guest. He makes reference to the words of Jesus, who prayed that God would forgive his murderers. In conclusion, he states that “without forgiveness, there is no future” (268).

Arthur Waskow responds from the perspective of Kabbalah. This tradition holds that Ultimate Unity is composed of four components: “Doing, Relating, Knowing, and Being” (268). Waskow charges that Karl has shattered all four of these components and that he is requesting that his victim partake with him in reestablishing this order. Waskow states that he cannot offer forgiveness, because Karl is not capable of restoring any of the broken components.

The only component that Karl comes close to partaking in is Knowing, because through his actions, Karl has taught the possibilities of evil. Waskow articulates four areas in which he may learn from Karl’s behavior: the need to create a larger sense of community among all people, the need to treat knowledge as a basic human need, the need to place God among humans rather than in some distant elevated place, and the need to reestablish the physical entity of Jewish people through celebration and physical expression. 

Harry Wu begins his response by telling the story of how, in China in 1957, he was imprisoned along with hundreds of other students and teachers from his university for the charge of being enemies of the revolution. He spent nineteen years in prison. He was abused and tortured, sustaining injuries that lasted long after his release. After a failed escape attempt, he was placed in solitary confinement in a cell that was “slightly larger than a coffin” (272) for nine days, and was given no food and water, until a feeding tube was forced down his throat and he was released back to his regular barracks.

He also recalls moments of kindness. A particular guard, Captain Cao, increased their food rations and had the prisoners walk in the sun every day to increase their strength, offering words of encouragement to them.

In 1979, when he was released from prison, he visited Comrade Ma, the woman who had been responsible for his imprisonment. When he met her in person, he says, “I did not feel the need to reproach her or accuse her of her wrongdoing toward me” (273). She didn’t apologize, she simply said that all that was in the past, and now it was time for both of them to work towards the future. He realized that Comrade Ma was a victim of the Party, willing to believe whatever they say without question. He describes this as a “moment of triumph” (274), because in this moment he realized that he hadn’t been destroyed.

In conclusion, Wu says that he would not have forgiven the SS man, but he would have been able to understand how he had become a part of the terrible system.