New Words for a New South Africa

originally posted at sareeds.wordpress.com on June 15, 2009

I’m still trying to process the things God is putting in my heart related to my time at Amahoro last week.  I feel like something quite huge has been planted in my soul, and I’m quite excited to see what grows out of it.  Something I would like to share here is related to another set of stories that I seem to be hearing in multiple places these days.  These stories all revolve around identity.

Every person whose story I have heard in the past week has some element of a confusion about their true identity.  One such story was a young man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a place I would LOVE to see Nieu Communities get into) who said, “Everyone who meets me, when they hear that I’m from the Congo, the only question they ask is if I can dance.  As if it’s the only thing we can do.  I have more to offer the world than that.”  He’s not kidding.  Muhindo is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever had the privilege to jam with (of course I found a djmebe and we forged a friendship), probably one of the sharpest minds I’ve met from my generation, and a heart like Jesus has for people.

Other stories I’m hearing from the Afrikaaner communities are old words that once defined them that were never really true of everyone from this culture.  Words like “racists,” “supreme,” “proud,” etc… These words are lies that have been used as generalizations which have robbed true identity from beautiful people.  These words need to be transfigured… because…

“pain that is not transfigured will get transmitted.” Claude Nikondeha (Amahoro 2009 Gathering)

I believe that the church is where new words SHOULD be spoken to individuals.  My friends have heard these false words about themselves their whole lives and are searching for a new identity… a new South Africa.  I believe that journey to a new South Africa comes when these false words are identified, a community listens to the pain those words have created, and new words of truth are spoken back in.

Perhaps this is the cure for global violence.  If a true word were spoken into rapist, perhaps they would cease to transmit their pain onto the innocent victims in my community.  May it be so.  Amahoro.