Responding to Xenophobia
After the big brave talk in my previous post, what you may be asking has been happening. What has the brave social crusader been up to? Changing the world? healing the hurt of all SA? Actually… nothing really…
After all that bold talk, I was knocked flat with a really nasty flu and spent most of the week barely conscious in bed (ok maybe a tad dramatic… but what is life without some drama?). So there I was in bed, dying to get into action, to change the world, to get my hands dirty, to make a difference for God… and all I could do was read about everything that was happening in the newspapers… helpless!
And then somewhere in the midst of it all – I started realising what was actually happening, there were churches mentioned all over the newspapers, Christians were doing more than speaking out, they were living out the Kingdom. And then when I finally checked my e-mail, what a shock! Tons of e-mails from churches doing stuff, taking people in in, visiting refugee centres, feeding, praying, getting their hands dirty. Everything I thought would not be happening.
And that’s not all (to quote those really bad tele-ads) when I finally get up and get onto campus yesterday, what do I find students living the Kingdom vision. Guys collecting food, clothes, blankets in their residence for refugees, others organising prayer meetings, still others visiting and getting to know refugees living in their churches.
All of this happening – without me? Without my influence, without my input and my help? Sometimes I wonder if God put me in bed just so that I could watch and see what he is doing in the hearts and lives of so many Christian people and churches. Reminding me once again that the Kingdom is bigger than me, bigger than my vision, bigger than my plans. So encouraging to see the church rise up and love the things that God loves. And once again I find myself a spectator whilst God works…
PS. Still want to spend some time with refugees next week….
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