Leading in love at the voting polls

A few thoughts and questions (okay maybe more than a few!) to contemplate as kingdom of God people, with local elections around the corner in South Africa, 2026. (and in many other places in the world.)

For a few months already I have been ruminating on the phrases we hear when Christians around the country call people to pray for their country. Normally somewhere in there we speak about taking or making a stand. Words like reset or arise are often used. Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely need to pray for our country. What concerns me is what does taking/making a stand mean as far as what the kingdom of God stands for?

What are our talking points? What is being upheld? What is being protected? What is being promoted? Are power, rights and institutions/systems being centered as more important than people and their needs? Or are kingdom of God principles front and center? Is the ‘truth’ being stood for or defended lining up with our kingdom of God responsibilities? Some of which are; looking after the poor, widowed people, hungry people, children and protecting the marginalised. Are we offering up ‘half truths’ that make us complicit in non-kingdom of God ways? Are we silencing people? Are we name calling? Are we offering up threats? Are we covering up anything? Are we basing our actions on fear? Are we following Jesus in his ways or in our safe and preferred ways? Are we open and standing in the light? Are we loving and worshipping the church as an institution or Jesus and his church? Are we being threatened by anything? How are we responding to this?

Not so easy, but necessary questions to ponder as we look to go to the polls in the next few weeks.

Are we looking towards mutual flourishing for all or protecting our own safety? Are we holding those in power accountable where they infringe on kingdom of God principles? Are we being honest and truthful? What are we basing our talking points on? Are we open to manipulation? Are we being manipulative? Do we think we are more righteous, above reproach and that we are on the right or good side?

All political parties are all a part of the system of this world. And yes, of course we need to vote and pray, but we also need to continue to live out the kingdom of God principles no matter the outcome.

Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.”
He commanded, “Love your neighbour as yourself and love and pray for your enemies/those who persecute you.”
He reminded us that we will be known and recognisable by our love.
There are no exceptions. That’s the kingdom of God. Are we upholding this in our speech and actions when we make or take a stand?

Are we being judgmental based on race, religion, sex or gender? Are we looking at character and actions as foundational to good leadership? Do we excuse conduct on our side that we condemn on the other side?

No political party will ever have a monopoly on morality.

Who is being lifted up? Are we following a charismatic leader and getting caught up in all the promises that make us feel safe? Who is being protected? Who is being harmed by their policies? Who is being left behind, left out or not considered? Are we after justice or just us with quiet peace? God’s throne is built on justice and righteousness. Peace follows because of justice and making wrong things right again. Do we question the people demanding our loyalty? Do they cause us to fear others? To feel threatened by others? Do we hold all leaders accountable and open to scrutiny, or do we protect them at all costs? Do we defend them when people ask honest questions about them? Have we been captured into believing that they are the ultimate saviour for our area?

When fear enters the picture, problems arise. When we feel threatened, we tend to justify harm and cruelty to others. A target to blame and scapegoat. Our example to uphold is always Jesus and never a political party. Are we looking to be servants in the political journey? Do we see the image of God in every person? Do we honor this and remember what we do for them; we do for Christ? Does injustice bother us enough to stand against it? Is corruption our only focus? Is good governance and fixed potholes, water and electricity our only focus for ourselves and our families? Is safety for everyone a priority, or only safety for ourselves?

Do we remember that Jesus was fully human/a human body? Does that cause us to make sure that every human body matters and needs to be considered? Do other bodies experiencing suffering cause us to rise and act to end their suffering? Is our faith private, personal and protective of self, or public, active and protective of all?

Do we care for others’ physical realities? Those suffering from hunger, rejection, starvation, war, abuse, pain or harm?

God so loved the world that through Jesus he is redeeming it. We get to participate in the kingdom that is fully established in our hearts and the future kingdom that is not here yet but will be fully established at the end of the age. We get to bring it to earth by how we conduct ourselves through life, speech and action. Through how we embody Jesus when we take a stand.

Proverbs 31:8 says speak up for those who have no voice or are being silenced. Does this matter to us? Do we look around to see who is in the room, who is not in the room and who is able to freely participate in the room and who is not?

Should we not rather be bringing kingdom of God principles into full focus in our stand rather than defending and protecting our faith and ourselves? Do we know what we stand for, or do people only ever hear what we stand against?

Do we feel entitled or better than someone else or another party or religion? Entitlement generally leads to discrimination, harm and hatred. These are not kingdom of God principles. Do we believe our comfort is more important than other people’s rights? Are our political values congruent to how we live as kingdom of God representatives?

“Do we amplify opinion and policy of political leaders or do we critique them? In doing that, do we offer the hope of an alternative vision and to follow the way of Jesus even in the difficulties and practicalities of a world already at war?” Danielle Strickland

“If we want to take any nation back for Jesus, we need to ditch the irony. If taking back for Jesus aligns with power, might and superiority, then it’s got nothing to do with his kingdom. Is there room for Jesus when the nation is taken back for him?” Dan Sadlier

Are we loving and caring and concerned for all our neighbours, not just in our neighbourhood? Do we see those who are unhoused and homeless as our neighbours and just as important as image bearers of Christ? Are we keeping our eyes open to spot the bad treatment of foreigners? Are we silencing certain people? Are we further marginalising the already marginalised?

“Jesus repeatedly directed people’s attention toward those society overlooked.” Julie Tru

Are we looking to the city, town, Province, Country flourishing for all? Are we seeking the good of every place? Do we believe gender equality means equal treatment of all? Do we question why such high walls are needed for safety? Do we look at other options? Do we interrogate stories and narratives that spark, flame and cause division in the country? Do we follow the money to find out what is up and if there is meddling from people who would rather see the downfall of the country or who have another agenda for the country that is not inclusive of all? Do we follow the safe route and shout down those calling for the freedom of others who are being trapped and oppressed?

Can we sit with discomfort and hold the tension while we figure things out together?

Do we become ambivalent in things that should horrify us because there might be huge political stuff at play that makes us fear the consequences? Do we lose our humanity and compassion just because it’s political? Jesus certainly never did that. If it was something that did not align with him, his character and his kingdom, he challenged it. Always, without exception. He calls us to follow him and become more like him. Yes, it might be scary and risky. It was risky for him too. The authorities eventually had enough of their power and might being challenged. Eventually some of the people he came to save and live among also called for his crucifixion. Are we also doing that all over again when we don’t challenge narratives that are not of his kingdom?

Are we taking the big topics on the table seriously and are we looking for wider solutions to end poverty, food insecurity, rising fuel costs, better education and healthcare for all, crime, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and unemployment?

Are we keeping ourselves in check with regards to dehumanising others or thinking that superiority or violence in any form is okay?

“Are we disconnected from the realities of the wider world? What does it mean to re-embody a faith that actually means something to a fractured world?” James Andrew Harris

The kingdom of God is the reigning presence and sovereign rule of God over all creation. It breaks into the present through Jesus Christ; his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection and his ascension. We carry the kingdom of God within us. We live it out and pull it down from heaven by following Jesus and his ways. We look to his will being perfectly done and his authority willingly submitted to. We remind ourselves of all of Jesus’s teaching on earth because he told us all about what the kingdom of God is like and about. A place where it functions upside down compared to worldly values. It subverts worldly systems by elevating humility over pride, generosity over greed and sacrificial love over power. This is the kingdom we get to live out daily even within worldly and political realms.

 

Assimilation. Shape up or ship out!

We know these phrases from through the years: shape up or ship out, adapt or die. They certainly have a harsh ring to them. There just seems to be no give or take involved. There’s no space for grace, no compromise is involved, it lacks reciprocity, fairness and balance. It’s all one-sided and very controlling. You may have heard people say that immigrants just need to assimilate into the place they have moved to. It’s currently quite topical on social media. “If you come here, you just fit in and do as we do. You and your culture might be hidden or invisible in the process, but that’s okay. Don’t make waves.”

Assimilation has a few different meanings and it’s not good or bad, as long as it’s done with choice and control, and all the other good things like grace, compromise, fairness and balance that would work towards healthy relationships.

It means ‘to absorb, incorporate or take in knowledge, nutrients or cultural traits, becoming similar to a larger whole. To fully understand information. Digesting food into body tissues. Adapting to a new culture. It signifies fitting in or merging into a group, society or environment.’ Oxford Dictionary

Anyone moving to another country by choice will have their stories of how difficult it is to learn how things are done in another country, maybe they need to learn another language or their palate needs to get used to new food. People do things differently. Work life, social life and relationships will all feel this impact. New words, even new meanings to words they already know. Sometimes words that were acceptable in the culture they came from are suddenly taboo and rude in this new culture. Many people long for their old country, they feel homesick and some eventually return because they were unable to make the transition to the new place. It’s called creating a new normal and it will always take time.

We have seen many people leave South Africa for other countries over the years. Countries like Canada, UK, Australia and USA. Some look happy in their photos, but many expressed how hard it was when you spoke to them in person. Many have said it takes between 5-8 years to really feel settled and ‘at home’ when moving to another country. Adapting and fitting in by choice will always take time. Our brain pathways need time to change to what we are setting them towards. We have seen quite a few families return, saying they missed South Africa and the way of life they had here. We see rugby stadiums filled if South Africa plays in their new country. As some have said, South Africa is a part of our DNA. Then there’s certain food items that people miss so much they get relatives to bring the items over when they visit. Many countries have realized this is a gap in the market and have shops that stock these South African food items that people long for, like Mrs H.S Ball’s chutney or Ouma rusks.

I must say I can’t see any of these people taking very kindly to their new country having no patience with them and not wanting them to be in any part South African, but just to assimilate into the new place and become everything that country signifies and stands for. Imagine this for someone immigrating from the UK to China or someone immigrating from the USA to Lesotho. Hey, I may be wrong but it’s going to take bravery and courage and I imagine not a long or happy stay if it’s all about control and forcing change.

Just imagine some of those people moving to a new country where the dominant religion is different to theirs. Would the expectation be to assimilate? I am guessing majority would answer no to that. Sometimes we really need to weigh up what we are asking of others and flip the story to ourselves. If we are going to love people like we love ourselves or if we are going to treat others like we would like them to treat us, then we need to delve a little deeper into these expectations placed on other people. And even more especially so, if they fall into any vulnerable category. The vulnerable categories close to God’s heart are widows, orphans, immigrants or foreigners, the poor, the oppressed, the sick and disabled, the marginalized and lonely. Often this refers to people with limited power, voice, social standing, economic security or resources. Lacking the basic necessities or subject to unjust treatment. Neglected, forgotten or devalued by society. With foreigners/immigrants they would lack the rights and securities of citizens. He calls us to see them, to defend them, to protect them, to stand in the gap to stop mistreatment of them. God calls his people to particularly support these people through justice, mercy and active love and care.

Now, take someone who has had war break out in their country and they have needed to flee for their lives to another country. Straight away there is no choice and control, other than straight out survival. They get titles like refugees, foreigners or by far the worst, aliens. Generally other words like illegal or criminal creep in there too. And again, to hasten to answer those who may want to point out that there could be illegal or criminal activity done by people entering another country, let’s also hasten to not paint everyone with the same paintbrush. We need to take note that people are not illegal as that carries a level of criminality. When we call people illegal it makes it very easy to start dehumanizing them and taking the law into our own hands. There’s also political propaganda at play. I am guessing the same accusations could apply to any person moving between countries.

It does seem that the assimilation that is demanded of others carries a level of domination to it. It seems to often come from the dominant culture or the people who think they hold the dominant culture. It is also done in an unfair way, as it only applies to some people and not all people. A thought, that maybe we don’t demand from others what we ourselves can’t or don’t want to do or have never done.

I find it concerning because it cancels belonging and acceptance. It excludes people. It forces people to lose or hide parts of who they are. It stops learning happening. Curiosity is shut out. Humility plays no part. Arrogance and coercion lead the way.

Jesus refers to us as foreigners and reminds us about it. As people who follow Jesus, we are a part of his kingdom, which is not of this world. He calls us to behave in such a way as someone who represents that kingdom well. He certainly would never call for assimilation into a worldly space. He certainly would not be happy with us demanding any kind of assimilation from others too. What he does call us to, is to show honour to the people and their culture, or to seek the prosperity of the city they are living in or to become all things in our effort to point people towards Jesus. He does tell us explicitly not to conform to the ways of this world.

Daniel is such a prime example of non-conforming or non-assimilation to the foreign land and culture he found himself in. He stood for God and would not bow to a foreign god/idol. He only ate the food in a manner consistent with the Nazarite vow of separation and dedication. He refused the king’s delicacies. He did however do all of this with respect, dignity and humility. He did not demand but asked for his Jewish ways to be respected. He continued to pray to God openly, like he always had done, even though it carried punishment. If we are a part of the kingdom of God, we will sometimes be called to this level of sacrifice and persecution. Sometimes it will come on the back of calling for justice in certain circumstances. We need to stay obedient and trust in God through it all.

Here are parts of a quote by Nyaduol Nyuon Bany: “Preserving one’s cultural identity, language, traditions and values does not equate to rejecting or disrespecting the country in which one lives. Integration, as opposed to assimilation, does not require anyone to erase one’s roots. It simply means engaging with the broader community while maintaining the cultural foundations that give a person dignity, continuity and pride.

True multiculturism is built on mutual respect, not pressure to conform. It allows individuals to celebrate their identity without fear of judgement or expectation to abandon their cultural background. When people preserve their traditions, languages and values, they enrich the social fabric of the country they are in, rather than divide it.

Cultural diversity should empower individuals to stand confidently in both worlds: contributing to the society they live in, while carrying forward the legacy of their ancestors. That balance is not only possible, but also essential for a healthy and inclusive nation.”

In South Africa and other places around the world where there has been racial hierarchy, there is an expectation of assimilation into the dominant culture at the top of the pyramid. Initially with Apartheid in South Africa there was forced separation, and so assimilation was not an option. But post-Apartheid South Africa is a different story. Some critics have argued that the model of integration has often functioned as an effort to assimilate black citizens into white-centered institutions. This has led to a reality where we don’t have a truly new, equitable and inclusive society. Let’s sit in the discomfort of that, digest it and find out more information before we react instead of responding. The hopes for South Africa would be for a unified, harmonious and multicultural society, with everyone equally valued and included with all their diversity. It is more complex and difficult to navigate but the rewards for everyone far outweigh the difficulties along the way.

Just thought to mention the phrase, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This is referring to adopting customs, traditions and behaviours of the local area or culture, especially when traveling or in an unfamiliar situation. This is to blend in and respect local norms. There is still choice and control in these situations. An example could be eating with chopsticks in a country where that is their primary utensil. It’s not forced, but it is appreciated by locals. When in a cosmopolitan setting you would find diverse cultures co-existing, blending and creating new mixed identities. My personal reflection here would be that I expect heaven is going to reflect the cosmopolitan setting, so by allowing that level of freedom and not letting minority cultures get swallowed up and lost in a dominant culture, we would be bringing heaven to earth.

If we value the ways of the kingdom of God and the Shalom he speaks of, we would be all about welcoming and loving people and mutual caring. We would not demand things from other people. We would accept people and honour the image of God in them. We would stop othering people, calling people names or using racism and supremacy as the backdrop for ‘so called’ legal steps towards harassing people we deem unacceptable in the same country we live in. We would not support mass violent deportation of people.

We need better ways forward and we can certainly keep aiming at the reality of wholeness, belonging and restoration for all. We want to be able to thrive and flourish together. Let's keep choosing welcome and acceptance. Let’s imagine more and create a new future that includes and celebrates everyone.

Picture from a Missions Poster at Church

 

Our daily travels

(When narratives need to be challenged)

I started this blog with a specific focus and then read something on social media and in my response to the person I had a Holy Spirit whisper that changed some of the context for this blog.

They (Lisa Koons) had referred to a well-known parable of Jesus and how they had learnt something so new about it in a seminary lesson that it had changed everything they understood about it. That’s the living word of God. It’s always teaching us something new with new understanding.

It was a wow moment and learning for me too, and in responding to their Facebook post is where I believe the Holy Spirit pointed something out to me that changed it even further for me.

The parable spoken about was ‘The good Samaritan’. We have heard it many times, we have had it unpacked and preached on many times. It is often used to speak to kindness and loving our neighbour or our enemy in our world.

But this seminary professor (Hill Carmichael) made the comment that this parable is really about the transformation of the world.

He went on to share - there are 3 types of people on this road – the first being the robbers, whose ethic suggests that “what is yours is mine at whatever cost!” They will take what they want through violence, coercion or whatever means necessary. We see way too much of this happening in our world.

The second type of person is represented by the priest and the Levite, whose ethic suggests that “what is mine is mine and I must protect it even if it means you get hurt in the process”. These people are not bad people; they very likely follow all the societal rules and norms and sit on local boards. Crossing the road carries too much cost, so they put their head down and go about their business. They often cause more harm than good in this process. Silence and inaction in the face of injustice is often the result. Reputation comes before relationships. Their focus is inward toward their own needs and the needs of those who are most like them. This often results in them choosing their own individual rights over the health and well-being of their neighbours. This is an area where many of us can really battle.

Then there is the Samaritan whose ethic is love. Even in the most dangerous circumstances he seems to live by the ethic that says, “what is mine is yours, if you have need of it.” My safety, security, resources, health and well-being are tied to you and your well-being.

Martin Luther King Jr preached on this often. He says the question the priest and Levite could have asked themselves was, “If I stop to help this person, what will happen to me?” whereas the Samaritan likely asked a very different question – “If I don’t stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

I realised that this question (who is my neighbour?) that Jesus is responding to is a daily question to ask and maybe that’s why this story is based in a daily walking/traveling from place-to-place context. It was the (dangerous) road between Jericho and Jerusalem. How many times do we refer to dangerous roads or routes in our daily lives? Sometimes our daily commute is just that and sometimes going further than we normally would, could present us with more danger. But it’s all part of getting from one point to another which we do every day, whether we are walking or in some kind of transport.

Fear has a way of making us all behave badly. When fear is the ethic of our lives, we tend to cling to our own safety, and our own individual rights. We retreat, mind our own business and rarely cross to the other side of the road to help. We forget about Jesus’s greatest commandments to “Love God and love our neighbour.”

Fear does not make us safer, even if it might make us feel safer for a fleeting moment.

We can also choose to cross the road to help our neighbour. This will give us an idea of what Jesus talked about often. We will experience a little of what following Jesus and his ways is all about. We get to see what real transformation looks like, and we get to see what the kingdom of God on earth looks like.

If the narratives we hear about countries and people make us fearful of those countries and hate the people who live there, we need to question those narratives!

Sometimes what we have come to believe as ‘truth’ is a false narrative repeated ad nauseum until it appears as truth.

If we are left with hate and fear, we are certainly not hearing a kingdom of God perspective on the issue.

We can be easily manipulated by media where the very agenda is often set up to be manipulative.

Do we question what we hear?
Do we ask questions?
Do we investigate?
Do we stay curious?
Do we line it up with the kingdom of God?
Do we line it up to Jesus’s character?

We are given pictures, words and emotions all the time.

Where do ideas and pictures come from?
How effective is repetition in selling us stories? Here's an answer to that question - it's highly effective. The same story told over and over and never questioned or challenged, will become a part of us as truth. The Holy Spirit might prompt us, but we need to respond. We get the opportunity to question the validity of any information we are hearing on repeat before we assimilate it as part of us. Once it is a part of us (assimilated) it is much harder, but definitely not impossible, to unlearn and relearn.

If it slightly stirs fear or hatred in us, we have a problem.
If we find ourselves thinking ‘we are better than someone else’ or ‘they deserve it,’ then we don’t have our kingdom of God lens on.

That’s not how Jesus taught us. He told us to love, go closer, cross barriers, cross the road, love our neighbours, love our enemies, be humble, loving and gracious.

If we are going to bring ‘as it is in heaven’ to earth, what are we bringing here if it’s got even a tinge of hate and fear on it? Should it not be about love, peace, care and joy? It seems so straightforward to do the simple equation of heaven there and heaven here – they should look the same, not completely different.

The kingdom of God breaks through onto earth from time to time and we are the ones who get to bring it here by praying and asking for it and by the way we live out our lives as followers of Jesus. The world gets to see Jesus in us. They get a taste of heaven. Well, that’s the plan. But when we bring hate, arrogance, superiority and fear, then they get a bitter taste of something else.

Do we carry an awareness of heaven with us daily? Do we allow this to shape our conversations, actions and decisions here on earth? We can lift our eyes above the temporary to the eternal. Are we being shaped by God’s truth and promises? Do we ask what matters most to God in each moment? If we fix our eyes on Jesus and his ways, it will impact how we live our lives, love others, make decisions and how we react to daily frustrations, anger, pain and injustice. Let’s refocus our thoughts onto God and what it looks like to bring heaven to earth.

God’s love is simple to copy, but not always easy to do. It is a love like no other love. A love that transforms us into a new creation. It does not leave us the same. It’s miraculous and world changing.

The words of ‘On earth as in heaven’ by Red Rocks Worship are applicable. Let’s sing them with meaning and honesty when we ask for God’s kingdom to come here. When we speak the very words of Jesus and say “Your Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”

We bring our praise
You bring revival
We lift our hands
You lift our eyes up
Where your love is found
There will be no fear
God your kingdom come
Your will be done here

Chorus
On earth as in heaven
Spirit of God pour out
Our hearts are wide open
Jesus we need you now
Come have your way
In this place
Break our walls down
Spirit of God pour out
On earth as in heaven
Jesus we need you now

We bring our shame
You bring redemption
You turn our chains
Into our freedom
Where your love is found
There will be no fear
God your kingdom come
Your will be done here

Chorus repeat

Bridge:
In your presence there is peace
In your presence we are free
There’s no better place to be
There’s no better place to be
In your presence there is truth
In your presence mountains move
We forever run to you
We forever run to you

Chorus repeat

To end off, let’s pray for God’s Spirit to pour out on all of us. We need you now God. It’s a desperate need. We need your kingdom to come, on earth as in heaven. Amen.

 

Top artwork by Evelien Burger.
Photography, author’s own.
Bottom picture of some children's artwork at a local Children's Home.

 

 

How are our levels of hate doing?

Hate, like love, is a learned behaviour. We are more used to hearing this statement the other way around.

This is a lean in and listen blog. We need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you feel triggered, please stop and breathe and then continue reading. 

So, how are we doing with our levels of hate? Is it something we take the time to evaluate? This maybe seems like a strange question to ask, but there is just way too much hate around currently. It’s not going to take us to good places. It’s the opposite of God’s Shalom which is peace, flourishing and wholeness for all. God condemns human hatred. He calls it destructive. He declares that if we say we love God, but hate our brother and sister, we are liars. He calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Hating sin, evil and injustice is aimed at the sin, evil and injustice, not at the people. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. Our fight is a spiritual one, not a people against people one. Hatred of people is never the answer or the way forward.

Do we have categories for our hate? Why are we so okay with hating? The jokes, the snide and hurtful comments, the heart reaction or the visceral response.

Are we okay with being the reason that someone feels unloved, not accepted, unwelcome, not enough, too much, discriminated against and less than?

Where did we learn our hate?
Whose worldview taught us to hate?
Are we okay with passing our hate onto our children?

Do we really believe that all people, no matter their race, religion, age, physical or mental abilities, sex or gender are worthy of respect and dignity?

Should all people, as in people made in the image of God, and just to be clear, that really is all people, should they have basic human rights and be accepted as people?

I teach and train in Protective Behaviours, which is personal body safety life skills. These are taught in an attempt to abuse proof children and to bring the levels of all kinds of abuse and violence down in our world. (It helps to address issues like sexual, physical and emotional abuse, Bullying and all kinds of violence.) One of our themes is ‘We all have the right to feel safe at all times.’ Sounds pretty much like something that most people would agree with. I find myself often saying to children and teens, that if I have the right to feel safe, so does the person next to me. So let's keep each other safe. It has caused me to do some deep thinking. (When we speak about safety in Protective Behaviours we are talking about the feelings of safety, because as much as we would like to, we cannot guarantee physical safety in our world. But our feelings alert us to potential trouble and then we teach children and teens to persist in getting the help they need to get back to feeling safe again.)

All is well and good until it’s not! Until we have something in our worldview that pokes its head up and says no to that. Until it’s someone we have been taught to hate. Then, suddenly, in our personal opinion, they lose that right to safety.

It doesn’t seem to matter in those moments that our South African Constitution and global human rights organisations uphold that respect and dignity do extend to each and every person. No-one left out, everyone included.

Are we okay with being the reason someone feels hated? Are we okay that they feel cast aside and not worthy of love?

Are we okay to support them being raped, bombed and killed because we have learnt to hate them so much? This comes from a history of dehumanizing them, calling them animal names and believing lies about them.

Are we okay with the constant in person and online hateful comments directed towards certain groups of people? If we think this is not a thing, we need to look no further than the comment section on local news posts. Especially when it has to do with homeless people for some reason. Hate filled, dehumanizing and calling for violence comments. The comments will make you cry. Literally calling for the harm and death of others sometimes. People throw comments around openly and publicly on social media about beating others up or using a sjambok on them. They sometimes say things like, “violence is the only language they understand!”

Are we okay and almost happy if people we don’t like or hate commit suicide, because there’s one less person in the world in our hateful category?

Are we okay with people being beaten and killed? South Africa is rife with awful behaviour right now towards people seen as foreigners, specifically people from African countries. People being hurt, harmed, killed and thrown out of the country. Xenophobia, by definition, is fear, dislike or hatred of anything or anyone perceived to be foreign or different from oneself. It is typically expressed as prejudice, exclusion or hostility based on the person’s national, ethnic or cultural identity. Very often it comes as political maneuvering or distraction from within or without the country. It’s not based on accurate information. The foreigners are often used as scapegoats, as a target to blame for any domestic problems, like economic instability, unemployment or crime. The target often falls into the ‘vulnerable’ category. The aim is often internal chaos because it’s of benefit to someone else’s agenda for power and control or someone trying to evade their own shortfalls. South Africans need to stand up for what is right and not fall into this trap. We cannot afford to get tripped up by lies dressed up in the language of people being ‘illegals.’

We are seeing this same thing play out in multiple countries around the world. It has not worked out well, nor will it ever. It doesn’t stand up against love your neighbour and the stranger as you love yourself. It doesn’t hold up well to God urging us to love the stranger, to not oppress the widow, orphan, the stranger or the poor. What about practice hospitality to the stranger (who sometimes could be an angel) and being reminded that we too, as citizens of heaven, are strangers ourselves here? Jesus himself says, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. Let’s rather put on love, show welcome and practice love.

So, there must be some world views out there that are okay with one or more of the aforementioned scenarios as I have seen comments that would agree with the hatred expressed.

Our personal worldviews are never static; they are always changing as we learn and grow. My worldview has changed dramatically in the past 18 years. There’s 40 years before that where I had been shaped and formed from various sources. That’s a long time to accumulate brain memory. There has been a lot to undo and recalibrate as I have carried on learning and growing and been exposed to other people’s worldviews, my own personal journey of learning more about Jesus and the kingdom of God and more teaching within different churches.

There’s one worldview to take note of, and this one doesn’t change, and that’s the kingdom of God worldview. It’s very different. From everything I have learnt, it’s meant to be a worldview of love. We learn from Jesus’s life and teachings how to live on this earth. I can’t find anything in Jesus’ teachings that teaches me to hate people. In the 40 years of my formation, I had many, many teachings in various and very different churches and spaces. There is a human element involved in how we learn about Jesus and his teachings – there is our own understanding as we read the word of God, and then there’s the people and preachers around us who have added their interpretations too. It’s our choice to ask God for wisdom and our choice to invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, help us understand and lead us forward.

Prejudice and bias are real. We are human. But it comes from what we have been taught. It’s basically a preconceived opinion, attitude or feeling about an individual or group, typically formed without sufficient knowledge or facts. It often manifests as an irrational attitude of hostility or unfair preference.

Interestingly it’s normally aimed at marginalized or vulnerable groups of people. These are the very groups of people Jesus asked us to take extra special care of. Examples would be prejudging of, exclusion, hatred or violence towards any demographic like different races, ethnicities, religions, genders, ages (children and the elderly) or physical and mental capabilities.

We can learn and we can also unlearn and relearn. Our brains have that capacity. It is our choice.

What we can’t do is blend our learnt worldview with the kingdom of God worldview. If we go with the kingdom of God, then we can’t say that some hate is justified and okay. I know there could be many reasons why we could think it might be okay, but there is no teaching on hate coming from Jesus. So, we are in direct opposition to his teaching if we choose to hate people.

We need to stop trying to qualify our hate and give reasons for it. We can’t excuse our way out with spiritual sounding platitudes. Things like, “I love you, but”.  We don’t see Jesus ever doing this. He went above and beyond and all the way to the cross in his great love for everyone in this world.

Our bias is often disproportionately weighted in favour of or against an idea, thing or group, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial or unfair. Often these are unconscious, but they are learned, so there’s no excuse to not have them challenged if they don’t align with Jesus’s teaching. Jesus had a naturally consistent and positive bias towards his Father and his kingdom. He was always in favour of everything his Father did and said and always aligned with him too.

Can you imagine Jesus putting a target on someone’s back and saying, “Go ahead, hate on them. Stay away from them. Warn others about them. Treat them as less than”. He came to people’s defense in cases where society had created a target out of someone. I am straightaway reminded of the lady caught in adultery and people wanting to stone her. Jesus taught us not to use violence against our enemies, but to love them and to pray for them.

Hate and violence start with seeds planted. These turn into thoughts that have been fed by stories, and most often fear and lies are a part of the stories. Violence and hatred are the end points of a story on repeat. Do we know the stories that have led to hate and violence? Does God rubber stamp violence? Does he encourage us to join in? Do we challenge these stories and the resultant actions, or do we ignore them and remain silent? What seeds are we planting for new stories? What will we nourish those seeds with? Where are we drawing the water from so that they will grow healthy and strong? If we nourish the seeds with fear, selfish ways, manipulation, pride, greed and threats, we will harvest hatred and violence. If we nourish the seeds with love, acceptance, welcome, care, peace, selflessness, humility, mercy and grace, we will harvest more love and God’s Shalom.

We have just noted June 16^th on the calendar in South Africa. A day to commemorate and remember. A dark day in our history of Apartheid. A day marked by extreme violence back in 1976, but it also brought with it the rumblings of change and freedom. Apartheid was birthed and kept in place with stories of fear, lies and prejudice. Fear hates and resists change and uncertainty. It resents equality and accountability. It says that my story matters more and yours matters less. It leads to people believing that they matter more and others matter less. What are the stories that made this happen? There were probably stories of superiority and entitlement. And then stories of those stealing and committing violence, those watching it and staying silent, those justifying it and those benefiting from it. Phobias are formed out of fear driven stories. Phobias are intense, irrational and out of proportion to reality. Once someone has a phobia, they are easily triggered when exposed to the object of their fear. Violent and hateful responses are often the outcome.

What are the stories that God gives us to counter fear, superiority, pride, hatred and violence? Is violence good news for the poor? Is hatred good for those who are lost and in need of a Saviour? Does this sound like the good news of the gospel?

Satan’s manifesto is one of fear and violence. Steal, kill and destroy certainly sounds very violent. He’s always busy with this. He's also known as the father of lies so we know he's at work with lies, deceit, misinformation, propaganda and fake stories too. But God is always working too and doing more and turning what’s meant for evil into good. This is a story we need to remember and believe.

What is the gospel story? What is God’s language? Is our language shaped by his language? I am the way, the truth and the life. Everything about me is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, redemption, forgiveness, goodness, humility, faithfulness, generosity, justice and faith. I came to bring life and life in abundance. Resurrection power is available and at work in you. My Spirit will convict, change and transform you.

Do we tell this story? Are we sharing the good news of the gospel to counter hatred and violence in our world? Or are we being hoodwinked into living with underlying fear which God promises to cast out with perfect love?

Let’s tell a new story with an old and powerful story. A story of deep love. A kingdom of God story. A story that changes us and changes our world. Let’s always respond with the truth of who God is.

Top picture: Bucket and well artwork by Evelien Burger
Bottom Picture: From a bag at Cotton On Foundation

 

Leadership adrift

 We have so many seminars, webinars, global summits and workshops on this topic. One would think from all the decades of input we would be in better places, but we are in dire spaces.

My life experience and even a recent workshop on leadership that I attended has shown me that leadership is about loving people and leading them somewhere through guidance and example. It’s social (people) influence. Set a vision, empower teams, collaborate, work together, lead people towards the goal. Personality of the leader and the team members plays a large role as to whether they can work together and get to the goal together. That’s a very basic understanding. There are a host of other words that come into play that can either help towards the leader and team reaching their goal in one piece or can unravel everything and no goal is met, or the team is left behind and the leader goes solo.

Communication is key. Strategy for the journey and listening will go a long way.

A good leader cares for people, listens, is patient, is honest, has integrity and humility, is vulnerable, works with interdependence and allows accountability.

A toxic leader is arrogant, uncaring, impatient, controlling, aggressive, selfish, intimidating, actively seeks to harm, is dismissive and defensive.

Who would you rather be led by?

We get into trouble when we don’t take the key elements for effective leading seriously. When one person becomes all important and loses the ability to listen and be held accountable, there will be problems. On Instagram reels they have multiple videos of different soft gel-like gadgets filled with many holes and tiny balls and as you press and squeeze on the gel lining, these little balls burst forth and go flying everywhere. This reminds me of leadership that is out of control. Total chaos and people going off in different directions and no-one doing anything towards the vision and goal. It’s just a case of picking up pieces along the way to try to start all over again. Getting nowhere slowly.

Add in some toxic leadership traits and we have science lab experiments, gone wrong, exploding everywhere.

It’s this toxicity we are seeing on display all over the world that is the most concerning. As leaders we are either going to influence people towards good or bad.

So, when we encourage something for decades, cultivate it, mainstream it, legislate it, broadcast it, what do we think the result will be? Chances are that whatever we have been selling will be bought. If it’s something bad and we make excuses for it, weaponize it and joke about it enough, that part will also be bought by those choosing to follow us.

Let’s take an example we see too much of. Let’s look at hatred and fear of one particular people group or religion.

This has happened for millennia. Most often it’s political power plays. When leaders paint an entire group of people as dangerous, terrorists and threats, that naturally leads to fear which very often leads to division, pride, hatred and violence.

It might make political sense if the only thing the leader is after is more power, land and riches. Create a target group of people. Demonize and dehumanize them. Manipulate stories and ordinary issues to fit the narrative the leaders are spinning. Create fear. Create division. Create reasons for the fear and build on the hatred. Chances of this leading to more exclusion and eventually violence are strong factors. There are huge consequences to this type of leadership. People get killed.

In many ways these leaders would see themselves as having good leadership as they have achieved their goal.

But if leadership is also social influence, then the social part should be a strong factor in play too. Are they good or bad for society or only thinking of themselves? Do we want leaders like this? Some could possibly answer yes because they are currently supporting leaders who lead like this. I certainly would want leaders that think about society as a whole and take us all towards something good. I have yet to listen to any leader speak about leadership principles and uphold toxic leadership traits. So, what’s happening? I wish I had the answers and easy solutions.

I have seen too many global leaders openly ignore people pleading with them for a different way forward. When a leader is about to speak in public and there is a public outcry against them, to see them stand still, stay silent, ignore what’s being said and sometimes smirk is so disingenuous. Sometimes there’s a retaliatory rude retort. There’s no responsibility taken in those moments. All we see is pride and arrogance. It’s ultimately a mask of weakness, cover-up and inability to lead well.

There’s also leadership through social media influencers. Some of these are outright toxic. Watching a documentary on Netflix called ‘Inside the Manosphere’, I came away with learning about some men who get famous from posting offensive and dodgy content. They are firstly anti-establishment and live by their own set of rules. They show off their women, riches and physical prowess. They might not agree morally with everything they are involved in, but they openly say they will profit from it without blinking. Flirting, humiliating people, multiple partners, one-sided monogamy, terrible views and treatment of women and girls, dominance, aggression, getting close to political power and aiming at notoriety. Doing good is not enough to get popular but bad behaviour sells. It seems to be all about one person being better than anyone else.  Male supremacy, hate speech and misinformation – anything to get people’s attention and make money. And this is celebrated and followed by way too many young boys and men as some kind of leadership. I shake my head in disbelief, and yet it’s very real, and very concerning.

Leaders in the church also come under scrutiny, sometimes more harshly as the expectations are higher. They have the highest authority that they answer to, and they have the example of Jesus to emulate. We know they are human and they too have sometimes made choices to run after money, power and control, but those are not goals in the kingdom of God.

God speaks harshly to leaders who actively lead others astray and who point people in the direction of things that are the opposite of the kingdom of God. We have leaders in different countries around the world who will speak the language of Christianity and it sounds kind of great and okay. They speak of reset, rededicate and renewal and turning back to God and standing against evil forces in the world, but many times their words are empty because their actions are speaking louder. Sometimes it’s lack of action. If that same nation that is under God also stands for cruelty, exclusion, greed, war, dehumanizing people, making life miserable for the poor, selfishness, hatred, aggression and controlling people, then something is not adding up. Something looks and sounds fake and far away from authentic. That is not a nation under God or kingdom of God language or leadership.

The one place we can safely run to that does have answers is the kingdom of God. We can hold up what we are unsure of against the backdrop of Jesus and his kingdom and we can figure out what is really true and authentic. As followers of Jesus we do have answers in him and in his leadership. A leader with all the authority of the world on his shoulders and yet all humility, grace and mercy within him. Sincerity through and through. He is all about inclusion and society working well for everyone. He has no toxic leadership traits in him and speaks openly against them.

Jesus is absolutely devoted to God, obedient and submitted to the will of his father in heaven. He is always bold and courageous and stands up for the marginalized, the vulnerable and exploited. He offers radical forgiveness, including towards those who wrong him. He displays integrity and moral purity. What he says adds up with what he does. He has deep love, empathy and compassion for all people. He is truth and honesty. He does not put on a show. He is genuine and true.

We are told that we are made in the image of God, each and every person on this earth. If a leader is leading us towards fear and hatred of others, first of all that is not of God, and secondly, we combat this by doing what Jesus told us to do. Love your neighbour as yourself. Let God’s image in us love God’s image in them. Look at them and look for his image in them. We cannot let worldly leaders influence us to do any differently than that. We are called to honour and show deep respect to the person and the image of God in the person in front of us, no matter who they are.

As Raymond Chang said, “The gospel does not allow us the luxury of remaining neutral or disengaged when it comes to the unjust treatment of those made in God’s image. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells a bigger story and calls us to a costly love for neighbour.”

Let us all take up the leadership banner and lead like Jesus did. Not towards power, platform, image, greed, controlling others, status, war and dominance, but towards humility, servant leadership, obedience, peacemaking, faithfulness, a hunger for justice and righteousness, mercy, forgiveness and repentance, moving towards the overlooked, keeping our eyes on the one that is pure and loving with his sacrificial love.