Intersection – where to from here

As I wake up in a chilly morning in Johannesburg, South Africa, today is the 16th June 2020. In our country this is public holiday dedicated to the youth of the country. On this day we commemorate the Soweto uprisings, youth protests which took place on 16th June 1976 where thousands of students were ambushed by the apartheid regime. On this day South Africans pay tribute to the lives of these students and recognises the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from apartheid.

The youth of 1976 stood up and challenged head on the injustices that they experienced at the time. When the government of the time gave a directive that Afrikaans had to be used as a language of instruction. The pictures we see of that day are pictures that show the kind of youth that knew that if they do not stand up for the injustice, it will continue indefinitely. When we see the pictures of them rioting and manhandled by police who were very brutal at the time, it reminds us of our responsibility as citizens and reminds us that if we sit and do nothing about the injustice no change will come. There is a saying that goes like “foolishness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. If we sit and watch the injustice we cannot expect change. During the time of Queen Esther, the Jews were going to be annihilated and she was already in the palace she could have chosen to enjoy the comfort but she did not, she fasted and executed the plan to save them at all costs.

In my country during this time we are in the middle of the Corona virus and deaths are rising at an alarming rate. In the news we hear of brutal deaths of women due to gender based violence. This is another dark side of our society as it seems like being a woman in my country is a crime let alone the other injustices brought by being an African. As we see with fighting Corona, science has failed, governments have failed. It is at this point that we have to admit that human effort will not solve these issues. Hashtags have not helped much, they simply highlighted the problems and brought awareness. We need more than protests, we need more than hashtags, we need more than policies. We need divine intervention.

Economies of nations are melting and those who used to be rich and comfortable are no longer comfortable anymore as it becomes clear that wealth can melt overnight. Wealth cannot exempt you from Corona virus. Wealth cannot exempt you from the ills of the world. You can be driving your top of the range car going to your beautiful house but due to the injustices and crime, you may not get there because of the possibility of being hijacked, being in a cross fire of cash intransit robbery.

If we think that we are good citizens and therefore we should sit quietly and do nothing we will get the shock of our lives because when we get out of the high fenced suburbs we will be met by crime and violence from those who do not have opportunities nor the skills to offer on the table of employment.

As the nations imposed lockdowns to reduce the spread of Corona virus, some women were trapped in houses with husbands and partners who are violent and threatened their lives. As a society we need to realise that being a good citizen and sitting quietly while your neighbour is abusing his wife is no longer an option because the child of the neighbour is watching abuse and will grow up and marry your daughter and repeat the cycle.

In my country there is a Xhosa saying that goes like “Umntu ngumntu ngabantu” meaning a person is a person through other people. We have to speak up and condemn acts of violence no matter who is involved. We have to be active in seeking help for those that we know who suffer from these ills.

Growing up myself I had an abusive step father who would come home in the early hours and start verbally and physically abusing my mom. I was helpless as this happened because anything I do would mean that I would face the same violence. My mom finally got the courage to leave but that bold step takes time if your mind has been hearing how useless you are and how you will not amount to nothing outside the marriage. Before we judge we need to understand and put ourselves in the shoes of those that are experiencing violence instead of judging them and saying why are they still with the abusive partner. I know this because my mom went through it in my presence. She was independent and working and could look after us but felt trapped in the marriage because of emotional abuse.

I am a firm believer that people don’t change behaviour because they say so, there has to be a transformation which I believe can only be done from inside out done by God. In the days of Noah when the world was wicked God did not opt to change their behaviour instead He sent the floods to wipe them. Thank God He will not repeat this. These days we have gone too far in wickedness to expect that people will change because they wish to change. We know that people promise that they will not hit a partner and that same day they repeat it. It takes more that wishing, it takes the intervention of God (Yahweh) through the Holy Spirit.

The bible says “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2 renewal happens when we expose ourselves to God’s word which becomes alive and powerful through the Holy Spirit.
As hopeless as the situation may seem, we can still change by exposing people to the Word of God, this is why I am passionate about talking about the Word more than anything else because it is what changed me from a young lady who didn’t have confidence in herself to believing in her dreams. The Word may seem as a book full of stories but when read under the influence of the Holy Spirt it becomes alive and real to you. It becomes a roadmap that you need to make it in this life. The more you get exposed to the Word of God the more you realise how weak you are and how badly you need God.

When we hear stories that another woman has been killed, the first reaction is to think of the devil behind the act of violence and wish that he could pay dearly for it. I fully agree with this but if we don’t change a boy child while we can, we may not see an improvement soon. If we do not confront those in our societies that need help more than jail we will keep seeing these headlines and jails will be filled to capacity and that is not the answer.

You could be thinking, here we go again another one trying to spiritualise a real problem but let me tell you, a lot of what we see in the physical starts in the spiritual realm. Prayer is a weapon given to us to use to legislate in the spirit until we see change in the physical. If we are reactive we will continually fail.
Corona virus, femicide, racism and other ills in our society will only be controlled by the One who said “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

God was able, is able and will remain able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20
I pray that as people we will realise the power that Jesus left us with when He said “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever” John 14:16 (ERV). We are not without help, we have a Helper who is able to guide us on what we ought to do to win and overcome.
We should be active citizens who help where our help is needed, where comfort is needed where awareness is needed.

To those who experience violence at home my advice is seek help immediately, you will only be able to pray when you are alive. You may be scared of being judged but let me remind you only God – Yahweh is qualified to judge anybody else is self appointed. Be safe do not suffer in silence. God wants you alive more than you do, He loves you so do not drown on thoughts of what will people say or think and live in an abusive relationship. Choose life.
To the partners who are abusive, seek help now. There is help, you may think the person suffering more is the one you are hitting or abusing everyday but you are the one that suffer most from emotional wounds and mental instability.
Admit that you need help and seek help immediately. You may be judged but continue to seek help before it is too late.
No one is immune to these challenges, believers and non believers alike experience these challenges.
Seek help, get counselling, pray that God forgive you and be in the company of people that will help you change for better.

May God help us as we heal.

Shalom and God bless.

Do leave a comment below if this article helped you in any way.