As you pray -21 May 2008

Tante Frieda Mout from Jakobsbrun in the Netherlands has been requested by CFT to address the youth club of a local church this evening on what the Word of God says about the ouija board and other occult games. She will value your prayers.

Andries van Tonder wrote from Dundee. He is with Alpheus Mdlalose and the team that is ministering in that area this weekend. Let us remember them in our prayers.

Unyawo alunampumulo

Citizens with some measure of patriotism in them hate seeing their country grab the world headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Many South Africans are shocked and shamed by the current wave of Black-on-Black violence directed at foreigners from other African countries.

Whatever the underlying socio-economic factors are, there is just no justification for assaulting and killing foreigners; burning them and looting their property. Such barbaric behaviour reminds us of the ferocious 'animal' within man, which if let loose leaves a trail of havoc behind it.

There is general agreement in the country that criminal elements are riding the wave (or did they create it?) of xenophobia for their own ends.

One of my poems is based on the very descriptive isiZulu word for criminals - izinswelaboya. The meaning behind 'izinswelaboya' is that criminals are in fact wild animals; all they lack are hairy skins.

Criminals might feel that being likened to animals is below their dignity, but watching the current events I am afraid that animals might feel that being likened to humans is below their dignity.

Amongst the many isiZulu proverbs that encourage treating strangers well, the one that keeps coming back to me is "Unyawo alunampumulo." Being told that the foot has no nose sounds somewhat funny but the truth behind this proverb is a deep one.

Yes, one of the reasons we should treat strangers well is because we do not know where our foot might take us one day. Our foot has no nose, so it has no way of smelling out enemy territory. One day, our foot may take us into the area of someone that we ill-treated before.

On Thursday South Africa's Public Protector, Mr Lawrence Mushwana, reminded the citizens of this country that our national soccer team is due to play in Nigeria in the coming weeks. He then asked us that after the cruel treatment that some Nigerians were subjected to, what kind of reception do South Africans expect in Nigeria.

As I pondered these things, it occurred to me that our foot may not take us into the turf of someone we ill-treated before during our lifetime, but the unavoidable truth is that one day it will land us before the throne of the Creator of all creation, the Judge of judges and the King of kings.

Our limited human mind cannot begin to imagine what it will be like to hear the Lord thunder,

Have a blessed weekend.
 
Pressing on!
 
In His love
 
Fano Sibisi