How much of your life is spent on things that matter? i was on a call with my fellow Heartlines staff members this week and we were doing a bit of a check-in based on a question Seth Naicker had asked. The question related to Youth Day and the Sharpville uprising in 1976 which helped trigger events leading towards the eventual official end of apartheid in South Africa. i was 2 at the time [...]
How important is offline activism? i spend a lot of time on Social Media dealing with issues of race and poverty and injustice. The hope is to share and engage and challenge and invite people to explore different areas where their lives could be better. Most of this relates to areas where i am trying to listen and learn and engage and wrestle at the same time. i might know or have discovered some [...]
In spaces of social justice and activism there is often a call for greater kindness. Which i absolutely agree with. But for who? 'Be Kind, but with Spine!' Wow! That is a powerful quote i read today [which may or may not be by Karen Salmansohn, hard to determine] and it sums up quite well what i wanted to write about. i believe deeply in being kind. In the scary and often brutal world we [...]
Some people are finding it hard to believe in God at the moment. During a pandemic that is threatening to wipe out so many people and cause a trail of destruction the notion of an all-loving, all-powerful God can feel completely absurd. Others are preaching that this is God's punishment on a world that has largely rejected God. Which is also a bitter pill to swallow. i have been wrestling with my faith in [...]
Imagine a better country! No, that is not a passive dream-about-it suggestion. It's an imperative. As in, while we are spending three weeks largely stuck in our homes, here is an opportunity for all of us to imagine a better country. Starting with you, government! My wife was saying this the other day - imagine if every business, school, government department used these twenty-one days to seriously brainstorm solutions for the country - Eskom, [...]
You may have heard about this virus called Corona Virus that has been spreading around the world like, well, a very spready virus. More than 170 thousand cases and six and a half thousand deaths worldwide. With so much speculation, fear and misinformation around i thought it might be helpful to compile a few thoughts and links to help clear things up and help us all be a little more informed and creative in [...]
The idea of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children seems crazy to me. When what we obviously need is 365.25 days of Activism for No Violence against women and children. But i get it. Because of the state and nature of the extremes of violence that are happening towards women and children, just drawing some attention and mobilising as many people as possible for more of a bite-sized chunk [...]
Blessed are the rich... for they shall be spared sermons! Rene August [preaching at St Johns Anglican church yesterday] didn't quite say those words, but she might as well have. And they feel largely true. One thing Rene did say was this: 'The church has so many programs to help alleviate poverty. The church has no programs to help people alleviate greed.' [which i think was a quote of Bishop Zac Niringiye] Two other [...]
Fiercely Kind? What an interesting concept... i saw this on the social medias this week and absolutely fell in love. Keep me Fiercely Kind! That line jumps out at you! Ooh, i love that. Who would have thought to put the words 'fierce' and 'kind' together in a way that somehow mysteriously carries so much power? [Edit: i have since found out it was Laura Jean Truman who came up with this @LauraJeanTruman] [...]
i am convinced that the solution to South Africa's problems lies in relationships. Issues can feel quite overwhelming - and they are - but are also somewhat easy to take a break from or switch off. When it's your friend who hasn't eaten or is struggling to find work or is lying in a hospital bed, then it's a lot easier and more natural to show compassion and want to be involved. Another fire [...]
