Once again social media has become alight with many comments and posts after President Jacob Zuma’s decision to redeploy Nhlanhla Nene from his post as the finance minister[1]. These posts/comments have taken different forms, ranging from the standard callous comments about him as a president to genuine confusion regarding this decision. The hashtag #ZumaMustFall has also gained traction, with marches scheduled for this week under this same hashtag.
From the onset, I would like to say, this blog is not intended to align to any political view. If it does, I have failed in what I aimed to do, that was not my intention. As always, I think the role of the church/Christian faith in social issues is to provide a truth foundation in which healthy conversation can take place. Voicing out (and addressing) social issues should always be encouraged, as through this do we grow as a society. When our engagement with these social issues is however, not grassioned with the truth, they never, in the end yield healthy results. (Even if they themselves, that is our concerns, are legitimate).
The reason for this blog is not to nullify the #ZumaMustFall movements at all, but rather to bring about a truth foundation in its thinking about these issues. From my angle it seemed to me like the #ZumaMustFall movement aimed to pin all of South Africa economic problems on one person. It seems to me (at least initially) a movement that looked out for the smallest error in the other so as to expose them, accompanied with a sense of schadenfreude. It completely alienated itself as a possible contributor to the problems we face currently. This is what I hope to address in this blog, hopefully through a gospel lens.
“How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Luke 6:42
The above verse covers Jesus talking into the issue of judging/critiquing people. The first thing to point out (which I think is paramount in dealing with this issue) is that the verse does not say don’t confront/critique people on their actions. Rather it says, first take the plank out of your own eye before you do. First examine yourself, seeing if you have any part to play to the overall situation. Jesus is not advocating for silence discontentment, but rather he is advocating for a “self-assessment first” approach in critiquing the other.
The second is that Jesus interestingly uses a speck to represent the accused’s fault and a log to represent the accuser’s fault. It seems like in this Jesus is aiming to highlight that in most cases we are as bad, if not worse than the people we critique. This might sound taboo, but I honestly believe that seeing this is key to truly resolving conflicts with each other and, on a grander scale, the problems we face in South Africa.
Now, let’s face it, this is truly difficult to accept, especially on a heart level, worse yet, when it involves topics like this. I can already picture people voicing their indignation; “You are telling me I’m as bad as that corrupt politician, if not worse. You’re crazy”. As a race we tend to be blind to our own faults but so cognisant of others. Yes, it is difficult, but it is into this very context that the truth of the Christian gospel becomes of absolute necessity (and proves itself unique to all other religions/philosophies).
At its root the gospel is this, you are just as bad as the next person, you are as bad as that person you most despise, if not worse. They need saving, so do you! You are not better! If there is any goodness in you it is because of his grace.
Romans 3:10 -11, 23-24 states “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”. Ephesians 2:8-9 speaks along similar line, with an added caveat at the end. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
If we truly understand this. If we truly get this, (and not just superficially, but at a heart level), we will begin viewing those that offend us or we are in conflict with, differently. Rather than primarily relating to them with hostility, coupled with a critical, fault-finding eye, we adopt a compassionate, loving, sympathetic attitude. We begin to see their folly as something stopping them from being all that God intended them to be, and this to their detriment. We begin to see this, because we begin to see ourselves in them. We begin to be motivated by love.
This statement, “We begin to be motivated by love”, to many of us, fails to convince. We view love as a passive thing, resulting in little action, to no action at all. We view love as a weak force, of which those that embrace it fully have no strength to truly face the challenges in this world. Yet on the contrary love is the strongest force known to mankind. Love is not passive, it engages and does so in the most powerful way. Throughout history we have seen this in the likes of Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Martin Luther King, William Wilberforce, and Jesus Christ himself. I would go as far as to say all the problems in the world are not primarily because of bad politicians, greedy bankers etc. Most of the problems in the world are because I, myself, don’t love as I ought to. I love my life too much to sacrifice it for the greater good.
How does this all link up to the #ZumaMustFall campaign? Simply put, we should never be impartial to social issues affecting us. Addressing issues we face as a society should never be despised and by all means let us engage. However as we look to engage, lets us at the same time thoroughly examine our own hearts. Let us be constantly asking ourselves “what’s the motivation”. Do I long to see their downfall, to see misfortune hit them, has this become my source of joy (misplaced), or is my joy rooted in the thought of seeing them built up to all God intended them to be. To see them aware of their fault, repent, and go on to live the life Christ intended for them.
1 Corinthian 13[2] is a great chapter to meditate on as you ask these questions. Ask yourself, do my actions show forbearance, do my actions seem mean, is there a touch of envy? Are they egotistical? Am I approaching this with humility? Am I dishonouring the other as I engage? Is it motivated by self-interest? Am I being “past wrongs” driven? Do I delight in evil coming upon them (or on anyone else involved)? I’m I dealing with this in light of truth (not opinions or rumours). Am I trusting that love always works, am I hoping in it, is this what’s fuelling my perseverance.
Any social change not fuelled by love (for the friend and the foe) has its days numbered from the very start.
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p.s It would be a crime to leave you thinking that you can humanly achieve this kind of love. We reciprocate love when we are loved. The more love we receive the more love we can give. To enable us to give this dose of love, it requires us to be loved beyond what's humanly possible. Once again, only in the gospel do we see love so great being poured out for us (as Christ died for our sins on the cross). Through this we are able to love beyond ourselves. As 1 John 4:19 says “We love because he first loved us”.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
[1] Started writing this blog on Saturday the 12th of December. Pravin Gordhan had not yet been announce as the new minister of finance and march dates had not yet been finalised.
[2] 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
