The South African Adventure Continues

Day 4 of our stay in South Africa and we’re finally getting our heads in the right time zone. Sara and I will be leaving Johannesburg this morning and head down to Ladysmith, where a retreat is gathering of believers from around South Africa. I love having multiple days together with the same people because the conversations get richer and richer and people get more relaxed with us and each other.

Sara and I visited Constitutional Hill last night, which has the prisons from the old apartheid regime and the new Constitutional Court that protects the rights and dignity of all South Africans now. Interesting juxtaposition, with the promise of the future set right in the horrors of the past. It was done intentionally as a reminder of the inhumanity people can do to each other all in the name of grabbing power and security for themselves. Sobering and enlightening!

We had a delightful meeting with some hungry hearts in Pretoria last night. I loved their hunger and the courage of their journey to discover how to live loved and not just conform to the religious rituals they were raised in. How I wish we’d had more than just two hours to be together. I would have enjoyed knowing many of them so better and hearing their stories of life and freedom, but that is all we had this trip.

10 thoughts on “The South African Adventure Continues”

  1. Wayne & Sarah
    We hope you have a most amazing time in Africa. Hopefully, if you get the chance you will be taken along to a game park to see some of the wildlife. We are jealous but glad you are there to encourage the saints. May His grace flood your hearts over the coming days beyond measure. Give our love to Cape Town. See you at the right time.

  2. Wayne & Sarah
    We hope you have a most amazing time in Africa. Hopefully, if you get the chance you will be taken along to a game park to see some of the wildlife. We are jealous but glad you are there to encourage the saints. May His grace flood your hearts over the coming days beyond measure. Give our love to Cape Town. See you at the right time.

  3. I have to disagree with your statement regarding the rights and dignity of all South Africans being protected now.
    What about unborn South Africans? Why do you overlook the ‘horrors’ of the current regime that legalized the murder of innocent babies? You will see by these statistics how the number of baby murders shot up when the current regime legalized their brutal murder: http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/ab-southafrica.html
    The current regime removed capital punishment from brutal murderers and placed capital punishment on defenseless innocent babies.
    Also what about the brutal murder of farmers in South Africa? What about their rights and dignity? See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S71PbichSw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38CW6l-em4
    Do you have any compassion for the rights and dignity of many South Africans who are victims of the new violent South Africa? See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0zCJYzJdvo for the “True South Africa”.

  4. Anne,

    You can’t be in this country long and not see the inequities and brokenness of this culture and not know that protecting the rights and dignity of all people is an ideal that yet to be realized. This is a work in progress and whether or not it progresses to include all people and even unborn children will depend on how people respond in the future. And South Africa is certainly not alone in the struggle to protect life and dignity for all.

    Yes, lack of respect for human life in this country leads to senseless violence and murder. And the oppression of a class of people for a multiple decades has left a broken culture in its wake. I want to root for what is good in this country in hopes that they will get through this transformation with the very ideals espoused on Constitutional Hill. That can be our prayer and we can share in that effort.

  5. I have to disagree with your statement regarding the rights and dignity of all South Africans being protected now.
    What about unborn South Africans? Why do you overlook the ‘horrors’ of the current regime that legalized the murder of innocent babies? You will see by these statistics how the number of baby murders shot up when the current regime legalized their brutal murder: http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/ab-southafrica.html
    The current regime removed capital punishment from brutal murderers and placed capital punishment on defenseless innocent babies.
    Also what about the brutal murder of farmers in South Africa? What about their rights and dignity? See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S71PbichSw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38CW6l-em4
    Do you have any compassion for the rights and dignity of many South Africans who are victims of the new violent South Africa? See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0zCJYzJdvo for the “True South Africa”.

  6. Anne,

    You can’t be in this country long and not see the inequities and brokenness of this culture and not know that protecting the rights and dignity of all people is an ideal that yet to be realized. This is a work in progress and whether or not it progresses to include all people and even unborn children will depend on how people respond in the future. And South Africa is certainly not alone in the struggle to protect life and dignity for all.

    Yes, lack of respect for human life in this country leads to senseless violence and murder. And the oppression of a class of people for a multiple decades has left a broken culture in its wake. I want to root for what is good in this country in hopes that they will get through this transformation with the very ideals espoused on Constitutional Hill. That can be our prayer and we can share in that effort.

  7. The South African situation remains a complex one. The liberal nature of the SA Constitution opens up many issues, not the least of which is the abortion one. I personally find it highly disturbing and much of the legislation surrounding it unacceptable.

    When it comes to farm murders, again this is tragic but unfortunately it is a sad consequence of our past when so many farmers were involve in gross and brutal violations of human rights & dignity. The present tragedy is that so many are now innocent victims of the past injustice.

    The total lack of regard for life in the apartheid South Africa, where the state eliminated countless thousands of people who opposed them or even were presumed to oppose them, has left a culture where human life is just not respected. Only a miracle of transformation can break this cycle of violence.

  8. The South African situation remains a complex one. The liberal nature of the SA Constitution opens up many issues, not the least of which is the abortion one. I personally find it highly disturbing and much of the legislation surrounding it unacceptable.

    When it comes to farm murders, again this is tragic but unfortunately it is a sad consequence of our past when so many farmers were involve in gross and brutal violations of human rights & dignity. The present tragedy is that so many are now innocent victims of the past injustice.

    The total lack of regard for life in the apartheid South Africa, where the state eliminated countless thousands of people who opposed them or even were presumed to oppose them, has left a culture where human life is just not respected. Only a miracle of transformation can break this cycle of violence.

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