“Give and It Shall Be Given unto You”: A Reflection on the Giving Life of Mercy Amba Oduyoye

RUTH OLUWAKEMI OKE

Introduction

Giving is a divine mandate. Giving is an essential element of the Christian faith. Some persons categorize giving as the sum of the Christian life. This conclusion is consistent with a central teaching of Christianity—God gave of Godself in God’s son to die for the sin of humankind, to reconcile humanity with God. The measure of ‘the Way’ is not getting but giving. God gave and the whole universe is better for God’s benevolent acts! Apart from the teachings and beliefs of Christianity, other traditions as well as actors in history acknowledge and affirm munificent giving. It is a virtue to be encouraged and propagated for the wellbeing of the world and the people in it.

Giving and the Giver in Professor Mercy Amba Oduyoye

The dictum in Luke 6:38, “Give it shall be given unto you,” is epitomized in the life of Professor Mercy Amba Oduyoye. Oduyoye consciously charted and lives a life of giving that caused replications through the ripple effect of giving by her loyal followers. The full explication of the verse includes “shall men give unto your bosom.” The bosom is located near the heart; this means when goods are kept in the bosom, they are kept near the heart. What is kept near the heart is never forgotten. Mercy Amba Oduyoye gave of herself, and much is returned unto her as she gains recognition and more from the ones she poured out into through service and giving.

Giving also involves “casting upon the waters,” which Christian scripture says will be returned after many days (Ecclesiastes11: 1). Oduyoye has cast and is still casting her bread upon the waters. From this single act, she has found, after many days, children all over the planet, including those who are carrying on the good works of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians by advancing African women’s scholarship in theology and religion. There are feminists, womanists, and humanists, too, which are parts of the harvest of returning from the bread Oduyoye cast upon the waters. Moreover, transformed masculinity is also a result of Oduyoye giving of herself! With the same measure she meted, she is receiving a harvest of active mentees, a reward for her selfless life. The chain reaction effect has metamorphosed in the mentees enlarging and making the harvest a bounteous and bumper one as they have also mentored others as their mentor, the self-giver Oduyoye, did. When Luke 6:38 is viewed as related to quantity or quality of those items estimated by weight, number or other means of measuring, the implication may be that God is concerned about all aspects of our lives—physical, psychological, and emotional.

Often, there is a cost related to what is given. It cost Oduyoye time and effort to travel the globe to develop means to support and showcase women in theology and religious studies alongside the men! It cost her insults, as many men counterparts accused her of poke-nosing into unmapped terrain. It cost energy as through the travails to birth the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians in 1988. She discovered a need, a vacuum, a lacuna, and she worked faithfully to fill it.

In addition to being a practice of obedience, there is happiness in good deeds, and thereby in giving. I am confident that this happiness was the experience of Oduyoye when she began to see the return of other women in theology and religion as a result of her early work of giving. Her liberality made her to be rich in relationships, which is better than silver and gold. Any relationship or friendship whatsoever, always is a dividend paid to the associate, however small it may be.

Oduyoye gave to the best of her ability, in a full measure and not a skimped ration. Her return of more women in theology and religion and relationships affirms the maxim of the Bible that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Oduyoye has become rich in ideas of liberation, giving voice to the voiceless, enriching African theologies and theologians. Her riches also include stimulating many African communities by bringing attention and hope to women and girl-children for deliverance from practices such as trokosi, required marriage of the widow’s inheritance, female genital cutting, and confiscation through the inability of the women to inherit property.

As a giver, Oduyoye trusted God’s provision when she embarked on the Name a Woman, for a Minimum of $1 campaign, the proceeds of which she used to build the Talitha Qumi Centre with the support of Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians’ members and other world donors. The edifice is situated at Trinity Theological College, Legon, Ghana. This is a project which has become a source of pride to Circle members all over and is a marvel of what resources can be provided through a $1 gift of willing vessels. The consequence of giving of oneself often attracts adverse reactions. These who opposed the work of building the Centre and the Circle became a source of persecution for Oduyoye! The giving life of Jesus was also distorted and misconstrued. He was called Beelzebub, the chief of demons and many derogatory terms. But like Jesus, as a giver Oduyoye was not daunted or deterred.

Oduyoye’s giving has advanced work at many levels through development of many courses and bringing African women to the forefront and limelight in religion, theology, and society. The turn of the millennium also turned the future, vision, and horizon of these fruits of Oduyoye’s giving, leading African women in the academy and in the lay world to be more focused, daring, and challenging in regard to the status quo. They are exceptional in their fields and endeavours! Silence is no longer an option. African women’s frontier and spectrum are broadened and have become clearer. Thanks to the giver who used her gift.

Oduyoye’s giving testifies to God’s power. In relation to the above, African women have found their voices academically, spiritually, economically, socially, and theologically. They have found feet to stand on and a shoulder to lean on. They are no longer timid because someone gave of herself willingly and cheerfully! Many of these women have broken frontiers. Musimbi Kanyoro’s book Cultural Hermeneutics is a blockbuster! Likewise, there are others including Madipoane Masenya, Musa Dube, Dorcas Akintunde, Isabel Phiri, Fulata Moyo, Nyambura Njoroge, Mary N. Getui, Philomena Njeri Mwaura, Esther Mombo, Bernadette Mbuy Beya, Rosemary Amenga Etego, Helen Labeodan, Elizabeth Amoah, Teresia Hinga, Teresa Okure, Dorothy Omogbemi, Ruth Fielder, Christina Landman, Helen Yinga, Joyce Boham, Rabiatu Ammah, and a host more, too numerous to mention. They have become household names and powers to be reckoned with because the giver used her gift.

In the gifts Oduyoye gives, she renders tribute to the Giver of all things. Her life is a life of praise and testimony. The Giver of all things has prolonged her life and given her good health, a sound soul and mind. The giver has used her gift, and it has multiplied unto her as good.

Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. This is a testimony of how the Circle of Concerned African Theologians was birthed. Giving often attracts others to give back. In consonance to this, the Circle has solidified ties with other women’s groups and donors by which cross fertilization of ideas have occurred. African women on the continent and African women in the diaspora in religion and theology under the auspices of The Daughters of African Atlantic Fund have formed a tie with consultations since 2012.

The giver that used her gift has generated ripple effects. Her mentees and academic children in their little corners all over the world are also mentoring young women scholars, and even men are not left out. This is because the giver who used her gift believed in transforming masculinity, since it is a joint mutual relationship between the genders as it is this that makes up humanity. Thus, the Circle keeps expanding to accommodate many more members. That is the idea of what Circle means; no one is out of place in the fold. The community keeps on extending and growing because of the selfless giving of one WOMAN who used her gift!

Oduyoye used her gift as the Ultimate Giver required. Her giving has flourished into praise, good health, a ripple effect and unquantified uplifting of African women on the continent, African women in the diaspora, and even women of other tribes and continents. It has brought “heirs and joint-heirs” of Oduyoye in the sphere of theology, culture, and religion. Harmful practices are giving way to upholding beneficial ones. There is growing collaboration across genders.

From the life of this giver is learnt that women and all humanity should give selflessly which is advantageous. Mercy Oduyoye gave, and it became a blessing to her. In tandem with this is the fact that giving becomes a chain reaction which should be pursued for the good of all. This is altruism at its peak. In addition is a command in scripture that what is given must be a “full measure.” The Christian ethos is against a false weight. Thus, we all, like this giver who used her gift, must give of ourselves fully to the advancement of our world to brighten life wherever we are.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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