As I drove on the N2 freeway from Somerset West to Cape Town after visiting family, I was struck by the stark contrast between the beauty of the surrounding mountains and scenery and the endless scores of shacks alongside the freeway and I decided to measure how far the townships stretched alongside the N2. I roughly counted 10km of informal settlements along the freeway, that being just the length and not the seemingly endless breadth of these settlements.
I was saddened and concerned that so many are STILL living in this way and that us as white South Africans and the government have done very little to rectify this. I believe that the current generations of white South Africans could and should start thinking of restitution and simple mere compassion to our fellow South Africans.
As part of the body of Christ – His Church we are also called upon to help those in need, those oppressed and to stand for justice. When we get to the final Judgement, Jesus will say to us:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25 v 34-46
Personally, I want to be counted amongst those that helped my Saviour.
– Hazel (member)