We live in desperate, sad, hope filled days. Perhaps stringing those words into the same sentence confuses you. But they belong together.
They are desperate and sad days as hardly a day goes by without some new revelation of how those we are meant to esteem show themselves as untrustworthy gluttons of greed. But they are hope filled days because brave men and women are choosing to speak truth to power. As clichéd as this statement may sound it does lift a standard to aspire to when all around shouts compromise and corruption. It helps us see that there are a few good men and women who love this beautiful nation enough to speak truth when it is, in some cases, life threatening to do so. They do this almost recklessly but we know their words have been weighed, the cost counted and the decision made. They are not seeking hero status or the attention they often get. They simply cannot stand by any longer and observe men and women destroying what many gave their lives for – a better life for all South Africans.
David, the great Bible king, once lost his grip on his own mortality. A serious lapse of character took him into the dangerous world of abusing his power to satisfy his lusts. He saw what another man had and wanted it. So he took it. And in the process a man lost his life, a woman her innocence, a nation its upright leader and he, the king, lost favour with God. There were consequences all round simply because one man believed he could take what was not his. He was blind to this truth until a little person with no power but a big heart and a mountain of courage looked him in the eye and spoke truth to him. God was not happy and David was the problem (2 Samuel 12).
We have these ‘little people’ in South Africa too. Some have influence that gives them an audience with those in power whilst others don’t but they all have big hearts and mountains of courage. They come from many and varied race groups, political persuasions, Church groups and civil societies. They have counted the cost and are speaking truth to power. These are the men and women who need us to hold their arms up in the battle so that they would not lose heart and become afraid. I am not implying we should be apolitical, political parties have their part to play whether governing or in the opposition benches. But it is important to remember that political parties always have an agenda that may not directly align with what I am saying.
The men and women I am speaking of are those who can transcend petty politicking and get to the heart of what we need, speaking truth to power. Let us support them, love them and pray for them. After all, when they stand they stand on our behalf!
