 |
| Norman Hamilton, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland |
The delight for my wife Evelyn, daughter Julie and myself at being in South Africa for the first time in our lives at the end of August last, was only exceeded by the opportunity to visit and stay with Michael and Carol Cassidy at their home in Pietermaritzburg in the province of Kwazulu-Natal.
It would be only too easy to use the whole of this article to praise them publicly – again! That is not what they would want, but nonetheless I think it important to say that they are a couple who exemplify so many qualities in Christian living that seem increasingly neglected. Hospitality in their home; time made available and given so willingly to visitors like us; conversation around the table that uplifts the Lord and warms the soul; vision for the welfare of the nation getting even clearer as they get older. We would do well to learn the art of godly living from living mentors, rather than only try to pick it up from books or even history. After all, the Apostle Paul was able and willing to say, "imitate me" (1 Cor 4. 15-17).
The primary reason for our trip to South Africa was to see and learn at first hand what the church there had learned over the 15 years since the ending of the apartheid era. The South African experience is often used here in Ireland as a model of how to make further political and social progress. In particular, its Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been suggested as a model for us, as we struggle to work out how to deal with the past.
Our visit left us far from convinced that this would be a good way to go. If apartheid was the way that the state oppressed the black population, and its removal was expected to deliver equality and hope to the blacks, then those hopes have scarcely been realised. The levels of poverty in the black townships are often intense. The whites have the money – and so still have huge power that is not subject to the decisions of the ballot box.
Within 20 minutes and just a few miles, we were in a shanty township where families eke out the hardest and poorest of a living, and then on down the road to one of the most prestigious private schools in the whole of Africa. The school grounds extend to 3000 acres and they have an Olympic size swimming pool as part of their sports facilities.
The basic fees for 2011 are over £16,000 (€19,000) per annum. There is virtually no opportunity for the majority of blacks to have even a basic education, whilst the best can be bought by those with the financial power, most of whom are whites. This gap cannot be changed by changing the law. It is here to stay.
It is in this new economic apartheid that African Enterprise is seeking to build a ministry fit for changing Africa. Christian ministry requires leadership of the highest calibre, both spiritually and strategically, to bring real hope, light and deliverance to those bound by oppression of all kinds – whether dependence on mammon, or reliance on the spirits and the witch doctors.
 |
| David and Lynda Rees, Carol and Michael Cassidy with Evelyn, Julie and me. |
Perhaps the most sobering moment of our visit to AE was at a lunch hosted by Michael. I asked a leader in the black church what he had learned 15 years after the ending of apartheid. He was silent for what seemed a devastatingly long time. Then, with tears beginning to come, he said ‘We have taken our eyes off the ball. We thought that all would be well when apartheid ended. It is now worse than ever.’
What did we learn? Lots. Perhaps the most important lesson for us all, North and South of the border, is that man does not live by politics alone, and we must turn away from the idolatry of thinking that we do. There is a huge temptation to place our futures in the hands of those we elect. South Africa has taught us – again – that whilst those who govern have great responsibility, it is the living God to whom we must turn and give the fullest allegiance, and to find in Him the hope we need to face a very uncertain future. Sadly perhaps, this is a message that needs to be broadcast to believers here in Ireland every bit as much as to those who are not yet committed to Christ. That need is something we share with many parts of Africa.
Blessings,
Norman
[Get to know Rev Hamilton better by clicking here.]
No comments:
Post a Comment