No Longer Slaves

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Phew. 

What interesting times we live in. 

Chaos seemingly reigns.

Every news item is an article on some big happening. North Korea, Syria and the like. Here, at home in South Africa we have some enormous obstacles to navigate. 

Obstacles of the heart.

 Of all the beautifully, painful things that are slowly emerging, among the many, this one stands out as most useful. 

Honesty.

Hard, real and vocal. 

People in South Africa of all cultures and colours are publicly beginning to share what is truly on their hearts. 

What is truly IN their hearts. 

Social media is alive with honest reflections both helpful and unhelpful. 

Some kind and others cutting. 

From deep anger through pain and frustration and of course the old friends.... guilt, shame. 

Our attitudes of the heart are being exposed. 

Including the racist heart. 

In truth, those who are the children from Apartheid, sit somewhere on the racist spetrum. 

We may not be hard core but every now and again, it's ugly head shows itself. We may never show it outwardly, but oh boy it lerks inwardly.

It is time to take a long, hard look at yourself. 

Face it, own it and deal with it. 

In Christ we can do this well, with his help. If we are in Christ we MUST do this. 

In Christ we are free and we are able to live lives that are ever changing. 

Free from the bondage of sin. Free to live for Jesus. 

This new found honesty is, I think,is a good thing. It has created a space for white South Africans to really challenge one another. 

With patient kindness but with honesty we can call one another on our racist attitudes and actions. 

Let us hold one another accountable. 

We have to face up to the reality which exists where white South Africans live on the fruits of Apartheid. We need to think through social justice and creative, sustainable ways to be a part of the solution that redresses the wrongs set up by our past.. We may not have been perpetrators but we are benifitiaries. 

The long legs of the result of apartheid live on today. 

So, if we call ourselves a Christ follower what are to do. 

Trust in Christ

Pray 

Ask for forgiveness

Repent 

Live in step with Gods word by his spirit

Live in the freedom Christ has bought for you.

Act justly. 

I think that really learning to listen to the stories of people who lived life under Apartheid and who suffer now as a result, is an excellent way to start understsnding. 

Developing empathy and kindness towards those who suffer daily is part of the good works God has planned for us to do. 

True Christ followers are actually able to get this right. Why would I say this? Well, we have been set free from bondage to self and sin and have Gods spirit within us. We CAN and MUST patiently listen to the OTHER voices. The voices of the broken and angry who have been left out in the cold. 

We are also set free to pray. And on our knees is where we need to be. Pleading before the father for his work to change our hearts and our minds.

To root out racism in our own hearts that may lurk there. 

Why do we need a mind change? 

In relation to ourselves we need to change and in relation to how we thing about others, we need to change

South Africa is a deeply divided country. Divided in any and every way possible. We do division really well. We were taught well. To change this narrative seems impossible. In Christ we can be part of the solution. We must be part of the solution. 

Seemingly insurmountable barriers to relationships exist. Colour, class, gender, culture. You name it. We have it. 

And even in the church , among Gods people, we are divided. 

Should we march or should we not?

Should we travel to Bloemfontein to join in the giant prayer meeting or should we not?

My feeling on these issues is this...

In Christ we are free. Free to march and free not to. Free to travel and free not to. However, the issue for me is HOW we march and HOW we pray and what good works that leads us to do.

The attitude of our hearts is where we need to be challenged. Talking and sharing and really listening so that we can grow in our understanding of poor people and their issues or students and their point of view. :middle class black people and their view. 

We, dare I say , white Christians have an obligation , in our freedom, to not be sloppy with our thinking. Nor to be complacent in our living out of the gospel. If Jesus loves us into death, and he did, then we must love generously, sacraficially,, a costly kind of love.. A love that counts. 

Let's begin.