i can’t remember any time recently when i wanted to kill the pastor of the church i was in [Ben the Priest is kinda cool!]. In fact it’s probably more likely that there were people thinking those kinds of thoughts about me during some of my more challenging or hectic messages back in the day. But this morning at St John’s we were looking at Luke 4 which is an interesting passage and one that [...]
My friend Jacqui Tooke continues the 'How to Be a Better Ally' to people of colour series with this guest piece, looking at Positive Influence: Let’s get vocal… If you are like me, then your heart has been crushed by all the racist attitudes, thoughts and opinions that have been expressed in our country recently. I’m grateful for voices like Brett Fish Anderson and others who have boldly declared their commitment to changing the atmosphere [...]
My name is Linde Ndaba and I’m addicted. My addiction might not have me shacking relentlessly from withdrawal symptoms, as drug dependence often does or leave me broke and destitute, but it may arguably be just as problematic. As a black person raised in a white suburb (Pinelands) in South Africa, my neighbourhood friends rarely made the effort to know my world. In fact I can count the occasions where they correctly pronounced my name [...]
'Books are a very important part of my life. Books are my wealth and pay my bills. Books have a magic that keeps me going through hard times.' [Philani Dladla, The Pavement Bookworm, opening line] Meet Philani Dladla. You may have seen glimpses of his story that went viral a while back as a young man on a street corner selling book reviews to people. But yesterday morning i got to meet him. i was [...]
This is a comment that ‘Jul’ posted on one of my blog posts the other day and deserved to be a blog post of its own [hope that’s okay, Jul?]: For over 21 years, black South Africans have largely forgiven the majority of the white population who repeatedly voted in a racist government that dehumanised and denied them their most basic human rights. […]
White people of South Africa. The time is now! Yesterday i shared a status by my friend Sindile which is pretty much going viral which is excellent to see as it is such an important prophetic word especially for the white people across South Africa to really get. This is the summation extract from that post: […]
It has been a heart-breaking day… i’ve known Sindile for close to a year and a half now i think. Known as in i’ve never met him in real life [yet – hopefully remedy that in the next ten days!] but he has guest posted on my blog a number of times and he has this way of blogging within his Facebook status which inspires and challenge and calls to action and pauses and so [...]
i crawled into bed sometime after 2 this morning… Exhausted, challenged, frustrated, reflective, inspired, hopeful. It had been a long, packed day. The night before had seen 11 of us sharing a meal and then sitting outside in our tiny courtyard, wrestling with the idea of what it means to Live Simply. […]
Just started reading a new chapter in Ron Sider’s ‘Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger’ and this parable it begins with is such a brilliant example of the need for Christ followers to be involved in structural change that i wanted to jump on and share it before i read any further: […]
i love how in the darkest and longest of rooms, the moment you light the smallest candle, it can be seen from anywhere else in the room. [Unless of course, you’re hiding in a cupboard, but then, Narnia!] Whereas in the lightest and brightest of rooms, you introduce a little bit of darkness and nothing much happens. […]
