Fingered

I recently represented Gun Free South Africa at a workshop organised by the CSIR. They are working on a vast research project that will examine violence in South Africa and hopefully impact on policy well into the future.

We were asked to share our ideas about what a safe and secure South Africa might feel / look like.

One response was: “Survive Alive”

Another: “You watch a little girl riding on a bicycle and a butterfly flits past. You have time to watch the butterfly because you are not worried about the little girl.”

Someone said they want to live in a society that has open doors and where her own front door is unlocked.

I thought about the “New Jerusalem” in Revelation. The image is one of a city built out of precious stones. Walls built with diamonds, rubies and the like would be beautiful, transparent and still functional. For me, that is my dream for SA; I look forward to the day when the structures of our society are life affirming (beautiful), not sinister (transparent) and work efficiently (functional).

Which raises a question (amongst others) of why Home Affairs needs my fingerprints when I apply for an ID book? What purpose does it serve to have my fingerprints?

Home Affairs says that its system is separate from the police (and I assume intelligence services) and is not used for finding people whose prints turn up on crime scenes. The HA fingerprints are used exclusively to establish the unique identity of each person.

But, by its own admission, HA is rife with corruption. It is relatively easy to procure an identity document. Apparently the manual system for storing and acquiring fingerprints is partly to blame for the ease with which crooks are selling fake identities. Why will a more complicated system change this necessarily? What is about fingerprints and computers that will make it harder for people to fake and steal identities any more than say, photographs or retinal scans?

Furthermore, while it is not impossible that two people with the same name could be born on the same day in the same place, surely the odds are stacked hugely in favour of this information creating a reasonably discreet individual identity without the hassle and expense of maintaining a technology intensive electronic fingerprinting archive.

Is the current system efficient? No. Will a new computerised be more efficient? Yes, but at what expense?

Is the system life affirming? No – taking my prints makes me feel like a criminal.

Is the system transparent? No. I think there are undeclared interests at play. At best, somebody stands to benefit from the investment in the new technology for a fingerprint database while holding out the carrot of incorruptibility. At worst, the assurance that fingerprints are used only for identification purposes is a lie.

Christ the King

Read John 18:33-37

Christ the King is a relatively new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires - British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese - were all at war or about to go to war somewhere. After World War I, in 1925, Pope Pius XI designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday. The Second Vatican Council moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year.

It is fitting that this year the festival coincides with the “16 days of activism” against domestic violence.

In the published diaries of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi Propagandist, there are a few references to Mahatma Gandhi his contemporary. Goebbels believed that Gandhi was a fool and a fanatic. If Gandhi had the sense to organize militarily, Goebbels thought, he might hope to win the freedom of India. He was certain that Gandhi couldn’t succeed following a path of non-violent direct action. Yet as history played itself out, India peacefully won her independence while the Nazi military machine was destroyed. What Goebbels regarded as weakness actually turned out to be strength. What he thought of as strength turned out to be weakness.

The same ideological differences characterised the contemporaries of our Bible story today. In this courtroom drama we have Pilate and Jesus sparring in a life and death struggle with words that ring out over history. One wonders if anyone - save perhaps Jesus - grasped the magnitude of that battle.

For sure, we often assume that Jesus was misunderstood, and indeed he was. But one person understood Jesus only too well. It is for this reason that Pilate allowed Jesus to be executed. He knew without a doubt after this duel of words that Jesus was dangerous to everything that the Roman Governor was tasked to protect.

Like Gandhi, Jesus refused to use the methods of Pilate and of Goebbels. Jesus’ way – a method which Gandhi incidentally learned from – was far more powerful than any military empire. It is a method that to this day is not fully appreciated nor understood.

Jesus’ method excludes all other methods. It cannot be adopted as one strategy amongst many, as one arrow in a quiver of tactics. It requires total allegiance. One cannot love one’s enemy and plot against them at the same time.

Jesus’ method is all consuming. It cannot be applied to only one area of one’s life. To have compassion on only one’s friends and family while ignoring the plight of the rest of the world is not compassion but self-interest.

Jesus’ method is ultimately powerful. Assume it, and you may very well lose your life. Reject it, and authentic life will forever be beyond your grasp. Jesus method is so radically new it requires the end of life as we know it and the creation of something so radically new we cannot imagine it from any “old-life” perspective. It is for this reason we celebrate Christ as King at the end of the Christian year – for we acknowledge that everything comes to an end in Christ’s new beginning.

All of this is quite apocalyptic and rightly so. Jesus framed his theology in an apocalyptic mindset. He saw his adventure on this earth as heralding the end of time but let us not confuse Jesus’ apocalyptic with the sensationalised Armageddon of modern doomsday prophets ala Hal Lindsay, “Left Behind” and co.

Jesus’ method did not and does not predict or require the end of the earth, only the end of the world. There is a difference. The earth is “good” (Genesis) and so is all life on it. The covenant with Noah guaranteed that God would never again cause the destruction of earth. Where such destruction is happening today, it is human fault, not God’s design. Jesus’ method does require that the systems of the world come to an end and for the past two thousand years that process has been ongoing. Dictatorships and empires have crumbled and democracies are rising, global efforts to redress poverty have mobilised, prejudice is being dismantled from our systems of governance as well as our hearts and more and more revolutions are won through non-violence rather than sword or gun.

The world – as it once was - is ending.
The world – as it once was - is ending. The earth rejoices.
The earth rejoices.

This is not to say that we don’t still have a long way to go. Poverty and war have seen their premium century in the last hundred years, as has prejudice. But there is a global consensus and a global ability, for the first time in history that has the potential to end human suffering. That consensus is gaining strength, not losing strength.

Christ the King Sunday reminds us that we are called to celebrate the Reign of God that is arriving and has arrived all over the world. Wherever Christ’s Reign is being made manifest, let us add our voices and efforts to the furtherance of compassion, justice and freedom for all people.

Pilate has reason to be nervous. So should all modern powers, especially those that in any way impinge on human dignity and freedom for Christ will Reign over all.

Oh, and here's an interesting riddle...

Axe to grind?

In the sidebar, you'll see I have a link to "The Axle". I'm part of the coffee-holics support group that started it and we're trying to create a space for Christians to encounter fresh ways of engaging their faith in South Africa and the world. So if you think there is something that could help us get a debate going let us know.

The latest post I've copied here:

Mother Theresa always said, “Calcuttas are everywhere – if only we have the eyes to see. Find your Calcutta.” I was ready to come home. I knew that my Calcutta was the United States. For I knew we could not end poverty until we took a careful look at wealth. ... I learned from the lepers that leprosy is a disease of numbness. The contagion numbs the skin, and the nerves can no longer feel as the body wastes away. In fact, the way it was detected was by rubbing a feather across the skin and if the person could not feel it, they were diagnosed with the illness. To treat it, we would dig out or dissect the scarred tissue until the person could feel again. As I left Calcutta, it occurred to me that I was returning to a land of lepers, a land of people who had forgotten how to feel, to laugh, to cry, a land haunted by numbness. Could we learn to feel again?

Shane Claiborn, The Irresistable Revolution. (after a stint of serving in a leper colony in Calcutta.)

In South Africa, we have Calcutta and the US living next door to each other. We are one of the few countries where such poverty and wealth are so proximate. We do not have the luxury of geographic distance. So our collective numbness seems even more stark.

Check out "The Axle"

Creed

"I am well aware that I don't get to decide who God is. What I do get to decide, however, is to whom I pledge my allegiance. I am a free agent, after all, and I have standards for my God, the first of which is this: I will not worship any God who is not at least as compassionate as I am."

Want to find out more: read this article.

Yabonga

Some of you will remember my post about Yabonga getting robbed and the threat that this posed to the ongoing work of their voluntary counselling and testing site. Yabonga have decided to keep the site open, although they have taken steps to increase security. Below is a letter from Yvette.

From: Yvette Andrews
Sent: 17 November 2006 02:04 PM
To: Greg Andrews
Subject: Yabonga

Hi Love
Please send this to your dassie list esp those who wrote after the robbery.

XX

Hi
A while ago we had an armed robbery and Greg wrote asking for support for us at Yabonga while we found our feet again.

It is now months later and as I write this I have a background choir of Yabonga women practising their songs for World Aids Day.Listening to these women singing 'Never give up ' I wanted to write to all of you who supported us initially after the robbery to thank you for your prayers and emails - those messages sustained us at a time when Yabonga felt like a scary place
rather than the refuge that it normally is for so many of us.

I also wanted to say as we approach World Aids Day that Yabonga has overcome the various challenges thrown at it this year and not only have we survived but we have grown as individuals and as an organisation. It is because of this we can approach WAD with gladness in our heart and truly say we have discovered how to live positively with HIV.

However none of this would have been possible with out the love and support of friends. We understand that our success is largely due to the support we receive and this support enables us to reach out to others.

So from the bottom of Yabonga's heart - Thank you , Dankie , Enkosi and may you have a blessed World Aids Day..

Yabonga
2 Main Rd Wynberg
Tel : 021 761 2940
Fax : 021 761 3407

Finding God in the Busyness

Jurgen sent me this article. The idea of finding God in busyness is central to my own theology. Of course too much busyness is unhealthy, but as the author of the article suggests, busyness is life and God is there too. This is particularly important for people in urban settings where busyness envelopes one, even when one is still. There are a thousand messages streaming at one through advertising, newspapers, sounds and activity. There are as many threats, both to one's sense of self as to one's health. To remain focussed on what is precious and life-giving is challenging but it can be done.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

I picked up one of Katie’s books – one I’d not read yet. I read it to Katie and it touched me, which is a measure of just how much hormones affect Dad’s too. It’s called “Guess how much I love you” by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. Here it is…

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare’s very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. “Guess how much I love you,” he said.

“Oh, I don’t think I could guess that,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.

“This much,” said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. “But I love you this much,” he said.

Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

“I love you as high as I can reach,” said Little Nutbrown Hare.

“I love you as high as I can reach,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet. “I love you all the way up to my toes!” he said.

“And I love you all the way up to your toes,” said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

“I love you as high as I can hop!” laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

“But I love you as high as I can hop,” smiled Big Nutbrown Hare – and he hopped so high his ears touched the branches above.

That’s good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

“I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river,” cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

“I love you across the river and over the hills,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That’s very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked up beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.

“I love you right up to the moon,” he said, and closed his eyes.

“Oh, that’s far,” said Big Nutbrown Hare. “That is very, very far.”

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night. Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, “I love you right up to the moon – and back!”

President Katie unfazed by recent Senate upset

Make a meal of it

Mom sent me this link which I enjoyed very much. Don't worry, the pasta is wheat free.

Nuf Sed

A dangerous man who faded away has finally died. I hope he is enjoying a nice cup of rooibos tea with Steve Biko. Too early as yet methinks, but at least Steve is enjoying it.

My abiding memory of PW Botha was an interview conducted by journalists outside his Wilderness residence during the Truth and Reconciliation Campaign. He was saying his usual stuff about how the TRC was maligning his name and his people and that he would have nothing to do with it, blah, blah, blah…

Behind him in the background was the driveway to his house, “Die Anker”, which is Afrikaans for “The Anchor”. There is a sign at the bottom of the driveway with this name on it. There is a graphic on the sign of an anchor lying on its side with the words arranged around it. The end hooks of the anchor which form a “W” shape lie next to the word “Anker” so that the net result is a sign which says:

Die Wanker

As PW wagged his finger at the world, his own home silently and unwittingly condemned him. What I found funny then, I find sadly prophetic now. I expect that there will be many deaths in the years to come which will be just as sad because one more chance at reconciliation will die with each recalcitrant, narcissistic and unrepentant soul.

In this context it is good to remember Vlok’s recent penitence at the feet of Frank Chikane (and a few others that didn’t make the media spotlight, mind you). While it doesn’t go far enough, it was immeasurably better than nothing.

History is the quintessential reality-defined-by-perception. PW has condemned himself to an eternity of bad jokes and piercing satire. Vlok has created a paradoxically hopeful as well as confounding position – one that will be debated but never pitied.

Sermon - living faith

Following Bill Loader’s lead this week, I imagine here a conversation between Jesus and a less sympathetic Scribe than the one who confronts Jesus in Mark 12: 28-34. First, read Mark’s version.

Scribe: “So Jesus, which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”

Scribe: “Mmmm…”

Jesus: “And the second is this: love your neighbour as yourself. There isn’t a commandment greater than these.”

Scribe: “Oh really?”

Jesus: “Yes, these are greater than any law, more important than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Scribe: “Well, I don’t know about that. Surely if one loves God, one will obey all God’s commands? These include sacrifices and burnt offerings, not to mention much besides.”

Jesus: “Absolutely, but they are all subordinate to devotion.”

Scribe: “Perhaps, but on what basis is ‘love of neighbour’ second? Surely all of God’s commands are second? The ‘love of neighbour’ is but one of many.”

Jesus: “God’s command to love is one, just as God is one. ‘Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’ All commands - all law - are subordinate to the nature of God, subordinate to love.”

Scribe: “Are you suggesting we should stop making sacrifices?”

Jesus: “There is no need for sacrifice for love fulfils the law. Law was created to regulate human relations and love perfects those relations.”

A conversation between modern Christians reminiscent of this conversation between Jesus and the Scribe, might go like this:

“How can you accept homosexuality? Don’t you follow the Bible?”

“No, I don’t. I follow Jesus. I read the Bible”

Today is called “All Saints Day” in the liturgical calendar. It is a day we recall the people who have died in the past year as well as the saints of old who have rooted us in the faith. One of these saints is John Wesley.

Whereas Jesus gave to us the principle of interpreting scripture through the eyes of love, Wesley gave us a method to do this.

For Methodists the Bible is but one of four sources for theology and ethics. The Bible is to be read in tension with Reason, Tradition and Experience. This amounts to a wrestling for truth, but never a pronouncement of truth. Our decisions are always contingent upon new information. And this is why we speak of faith for certainty has no place in this struggle. This is why we speak of our religion as ‘living’ and that Jesus is alive – for we follow a man who still walks in surprising directions, shifting the goal posts, wily and unpredictable.

After Jacob deceived his brother and left his family he slept one night, no doubt troubled by his past and searching for direction. During that night God came to him and they wrestled with each other. In the morning, Jacob was more resolute, but still bore the mark of having wrestled with God. Our faith is like that. We wrestle with God and each other to discern a truth that propels us to action.