The Walk through Vrygrond

Introduction

In a country where inequality is a norm, one wonders how justice will ever find a home here. On the 23 May at the St John’s Leadership Academy we took a trip to Vrygrond to have a community walk through with the community leader Mike. This formed part a lesson on Listening to the Community. It was so strange being at the academy going through the exercise the morning, because early in the year we did a listening training for the CTII youth camp.

But this blog post is about what came to my mind during our visitation to the Vrygrond. There are just a few points that I have, and it will be a bit scattered so bear with me.

Struggled to listen, so had to look at the people and listen to their cries.

So going through to Vrygrond, we got prepped on listening and I was eager to go and hear what people were going to say and was primed to listen to the Mike the community leader. However once we started walking around the community, the wind just made it very hard for me to hear what he was saying so I had to mostly rely on what came to my attention when walking around. What my eyes saw and what my nose smelt took my breath away. I could not believe that people lived in those kind of conditions. Well not that I could not believe as much as that they could stand it. I mean Cape Town is known for some of the population living in torrid conditions and this area was another one. I dare not say though that they are all the same. They are diverse challenges that each community faces, but the exposure that had opened my eyes to again realize that we need to do more.

So we walked through the community and came to our final destination. Here people were getting evicted and there homes being destroyed, and the scene of people getting displaced was just heart-breaking. Having to stand by watching while city council workers tore down the peoples’ homes, or some having to tear down their own homes.

The reality of losing a home is one for me that really hits home due to two years ago our family almost lost ours. I can only say that God was with us through that time. That in a crisis where in our house no one was getting an income to now where we all working receiving pay. The thoughts that run through your mind of being homeless is a terrible one, “What can I do? Where can we go? How is the possible?” The feeling of hopelessness is too surreal. All I can say is that by God’s grace I am where I am today.

Why I share that is because we were asked, “Do you sense God’s presence in this place? Can you feel the Spirit here?” I honestly stood there and I couldn’t and do realize that in times of crisis sometimes you feel this overwhelming presence of God, and sometimes you just feel like darkness is closing on you from every side.

Why am I standing here feeling this pain while the police can stand here feeling unphased.

While I was standing there and watching all this unfold I also came to realize that I was being affected about what was happening, however looking at the police they were chatting to each other and laughing like it was just a normal day in the office. I wondered to myself “How is this even possible?”

I do understand that they were just fulfilling their duty and office roles, but I wondered how do you go home and sleep so soundly at night after you just took down someone else’s home. I have learnt through my years that suffer something long enough and you accept that that it is what it is. We become numb to the struggles of society. We lose all sense of empathy for people.

I also thought of what if my leader/boss asks me to do something that just doesn’t seem right to me? Do I stand up and say no I won’t do it or do I do it because these people pay me?

The fact is that we will all work under the authority of someone else and at what point do you confront the authority and say I will not do that. The other thing then that comes to mind is that those people who fulfilled the tasks must be thinking what they are doing is right. I came to the prayer of “Lord, help me to see past what my thinking of what is right to see the affects I have on the people I engage with. To not ignore them but see that my actions always have consequences.”

I can’t help this people

When standing there and listening to the cry of the people one just felt this feeling of they were expecting us to do something about what was going on, and I just felt like I could not help this people.

What played in my mind was “What difference could I make here?” That was a big thing for me because often when I engage with people and communities I often ask the question of “How can I help?” I guess this is just the servant nature that was passed on to me. However when looking at what they people was going through I thought, “I could listen to this people, but they looking for solutions and I did not have any for them. “

In a bible study that I wrote recently I spoke about Nehemiah, and in this story in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, he mentions that people fixed the wall in front of their own houses. For me it was them taking ownership of their own place and fixing what was in front of them. And when everyone fixed their part of the wall the whole wall was restored.

So it sat with me that I was not form the area, the wall in my area is itself broken, how can I come here and fix the wall here where back home its broken itself. The thing though is that once you fixed you wall up you can always go and help your neighbour, and at this time in our country is what we need. Those who have had their area fixed to come and help the rest.

All problems felt worthless

Another issue that hit me hard was that how could I complain about my situation when there these people that are going through something so devastating and facing such odds every day.

Looking at my youth groups and the problems that they come to us with, one almost wants to say, “Like really, you think that is a problem?” However I am an advocate for your personal problem is your personal problem and cannot be weighed up against one another, but it is very hard not to dismiss people when they come to you and you wonder really, is that even a problem.

Mike the miracle man

When the whole experience was done and we got back to the community centre, I was just awestruck by Mike the community leader and thought to myself, “What an inspiration of servanthood and selflessness.” Mike is one thing that I feel our world needs a lot more of. People who lay down their lives for the next person, thinking of the interests of others above his own.

Just watching how the community engaged with him, one could see that he was well respected in the area and people looked to him for guidance and to be a person that they could vent to.

Not only that the whole recycling campaign that he started up so that the people have a chance of making an income was so powerful.

What is so heart breaking for me is that here is a man that comes around so rarely and the city is telling him to stop, and you think to yourself will good people ever be able to live at peace here? Then comes to mind Paul’s exhortation of “Do not get tired of doing”. Trying to good on earth can be such a hard one, because evil lies around waiting to destroy what it can. We just need to keep persevering.

Solution thinking – Do we fix things ourselves or wait for someone else.

So while standing around watching what was going on. I was trying to see where the root of the problems lie and what solutions one could come up with that would help this community. This sparked an interesting conversation amongst a few of us and it was shared that this is a systematic problem on a variety levels.

I believe that when one understands the problem then one can come up with solutions to fix it. The problem is though “Who fixes it?” We know the system is broken and that the people we need to step up is not going to help so what then? One of the motivational quotes main quotes that came out from the Marlene Silbert Interfaith Intercultural Youth Camp that I was involved in was “I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I am somebody.” by Lily Tomlin. It is in this line of thinking that we need to considered, how we go to create change in our contexts.

We need to stop waiting for councils and government to lead change, let us lead and when they see it they will come and jump on board. Let us do as much as we can as far as it is in us do so.

My message for unity in Christ

The hardest thing for me was to ask the question “What does the unity church look like in this context, how do we become a united church when there is so much inequality.”

For me I am very passionate about the unity of church the body of God. I believe that all have a part to play in creating God’s kingdom on earth and this will not happen if the each body part is either cut off from one another or at logger heads with one another. The fact is that under the banner of Christ we have all become co-heirs of the Kingdom of God, so the way we treat each other is of utmost importance and something we all need to really thinking about how do we bridge the gap between us?

I made a remark in jest when I saw a church board that had a youth meeting time and I said, “Maybe we should bring our youth here?” And one just got the sense of from those who heard me say it, think “imagine that.” Then someone responded “imagine we let them visit our youth?” The feeling was one of they would be so segregated because their exposure and lifestyles are so starkly contrast.

So as I continue to preach about unity through Christ Jesus it is one of how do bring across that we are one family under one banner, one lord, one faith, but we are so different in what we face and deal with. To teach people to love and love without prejudice is a hard one. I reflect sometimes and think that often we try to shape people into what we want them to be, but what if our vision for the person is the wrong one, and does not measure up to what God wants can we accept that difference? Can we accept leadership that does not lead the way we do? Can we accept people who do not have a shared view on life as we do?

In conclusion, I would just like to say that it was such a heart-breaking, awe-inspiring and faith-forming experience that will stay with me for a long time. I definitely felt like I should have stepped up and spoken to a few people and not worry about whether I could have helped them or not. To just be there and hear what they had to say and to just be someone that they could open to. To be someone who is there to listen and listen intently.