While love was celebrated, hatred and jealousy ruled in the hearts and actions – again! It is a truth not popular, but a visible fact, that in the majority of South Africa hatred and jealousy reign supreme in the minds and hearts of people. And it is applauded too. It is both grievous and shameful. According to my knowledge, if human beings flee from war, they should be considered asylum seekers. I am not talking here of criminal activity, I am talking about desperate humans who have a will to live. As is their God – given right.
Sparsely clothed, very thin and exhausted, they had requested a days work for a days pay so they could use their skills to buy food and water. South Africans, employed, were pounding them with a barrage of stones. These defenceless souls were helpless and without strength. They did not demand money! They wanted to work for it, doing what our proud and self-righteous South Africans consider too low a task. They did not steal someone’s job, they came to live, to survive. Bleeding and injured, everyone drove past and ignored this horrific injustice. What is one to do? Pretend that this is just the way it is? Tut tut and shake one’s head? Well, I could not. Old and grey I loaded the injured souls into my old vehicle and drove them to a safe place. Why are there no safe stations for such people? They received food, shelter, clothing and the Gospel and will be placed where they can be safe from citizens who bully and hate.
Whatever happened to Christian charity? We are commanded to welcome foreigners – “Make sure that orphans and foreigners are treated fairly …” Deuteronomy 24 : 17 and “The Lord defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing. And you should also care for them …” Deuteronomy 10 : 18 & 19 and literally hundreds more of these statements. Jesus Himself commanded us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and give the Gospel of Christ to the poor. He never told us to build huge fancy church buildings or palaces.
Some foreigners have criminal intent, but our neighbours from Mozambique are currently in a more that three year long devastating war and are hungry, thirsty and naked and we turn a blind eye. Well, valentines day was rescue day and I was filled with a holy anger at the selfish and godless nation we have become. I am tired of political bullies and selfish millionaires. Snobs are abounding and the last, the least and the lost are considered worthless. Well, they are not. They are in fact so valuable that Christ died for them.
South Africans like to whinge and whine about the past, but they themselves do absolutely nothing with their own hands, massive salaries and skills. They love to ponder on the ‘good old days’ or lament about the ‘bad old days’, but do nothing to make today a happy place or a safe place or a different place. Talk is cheap – and oh my goodness how politicians, professors, prophets and pastors love to talk. Time to talk less and do more. The Book of Acts days – such will be wonderful. I live in hope.
March is fast approaching. Human Rights day will be celebrated by the haves and loud songs of killing and murder and rights. But I wonder who will celebrate human rights day by rescuing an unborn baby or a homeless foreigner or an elderly person who is threated and cast aside or murdered or raped? Stadiums will be filled, while the poor starve and the unborn are murdered. Sit still and think and pray and seek God’s Face, now that will be a good human rights day – guidance for tomorrow. Dare to ask : What do You want? What is my role in this mess? Ignore or stand? Share or stockpile? Abundant life is a life of living well with yourself and for others.
May Human Rights day be about humans not politics.
Written in my own convictions and not necessarily for any organisation or group.