“I have never been embarrased to be South African, ever, in my entire life… I am ashamed to be South African today…”

The venue was in church, 25th May… the church was fuller than normal this evening, (that’s because the church where I’m at is housing a few of the refugees caused by xenophobia in our city, Cape Town) and I’m sitting in my prefered corner in the back pews, when my pastor uttered these words (above) with disgrace written all over his face, and it hit me… I felt exactly the same way…! the xenephobic attacks experienced in this country right now are not merely the foreigner’s problem… It is my problem aswell, as a South African and as a christian. What is strange is that, during the aphartheid era, south africans fought against exactly the same kind of oppression, we cried and experienced great pain as a nation…but now, knowing exactly how it felt, we are turning around doing the exactly the same thing to our african brothers and sisters…What evil and what wickedness has overcome our nation. A pregnant foreign woman (I don’t know her nationality), was reported to having been beaten up and murdered, and her baby cut out from her stomach in Johannesburg. “Oh God, what evil has overcome our nation?”

Xenophobia – an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange – It’s as if a dark cloud has covered our country, aswell as our proud sentiments as a nation. The mood is dull, and shamefull as you walk the streets all over. How should we respond? … What is the christian response?

How’s this topic for my first ever blog… as gloom as it may be, it bothers me in my thoughts…for the time being I just wanted to let you know about what’s in my head and I’d like you to read up on the answer that a friend of mine, John Scheepers, gives to my two questions. It’s a great response that he outlines… and I’ve recieved good encouragement from it…

Leviticus 19:34: The alien (foreigner) living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Dueteronomy 10:19: And you are to love those who are aliens (foreigner), for you yourselves were aliens (foreigners) in Egypt.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters.

In Love