By Khotso KD Moleko
I have noticed that whenever there are, or about to be, scandals involving politicians including whenever reports about unemployment, crime as well as social instability or governance failures are resurfacing, the media are quick to publish stories about foreigners and so-called false pastors.
This is usually followed by political marches and xenophobic sentiments and attacks. Clearly, the clever politicians of today have no respect for the institutions of God and black skin, they even can use them for earthly justification as anti-depressants for their mistakes or lies!
As for the media, no true Christian can vouch that there can be any ability from mostly secular-mad journalists to respect faith. Largely, their true God is their own biblical interpretations according to their human desires.
Ordinary citizens and the laity need to know that no amount of academic research and being relevant to social sciences can lead any human being to master the word of God in the Bible.
Also, no certain church on earth can claim to be the only correct interpreters of the Bible regardless of how big or old that church. God is a revelation to humans for deliverance and salvation etc and the Bible or holy texts, written on paper or typed, are a voluntary gift of God to humans.
Therefore, the only true interpretation comes from the Lord and the Spirit, no certain race of scholars or certain denomination can claim to be above the love of God and revelation.
Christianity then is for humans to make sense of this love in various ways and this is the reason why we have many churches and Bible versions.
Unlike politics, observatory science, journalism, sports and legality where humans are their own masters, belief in the Christian sense has a human aspect and a final aspect of Judgement by God. If God does not approve of a certain way of worship it is up to Judgement not any theology or government and media strand by humans.
But today every Tom, Dick and Harry is an expert of the Bible and of who is true or false, yet very few can do even the basics of what Jesus did and more. Even the recent protests against foreigners in Soweto makes nonsense at best. It is not possible for foreigners to work with police officials in criminal activities and then the same police officials are spared from being chased away but buoyed to restore the same broken law.
The attention given to Soweto for June 16 is beginning to spoil them. The organisers could have used all that energy to collect money for Eskom.
Moreover, if the politicians are bored and have no other means to be relevant and campaign for votes, the churches and foreigners are not their scapegoats.
The foreigners who are criminals are operating in a society of crime by locals.
Why should the law be accommodating to local criminals and harsh on foreigners? No South African is forced to support a foreign business. If any South African can outcompete foreigners who are open every day with no holidays, no hangover, let them do so and then tell which South Africans supported him or her.
Again, if the borders of South Africa were properly secured, by a racist apartheid system with influx controls of blacks, enough for exiles to come in and out of the country for freedom, why would they be less porous under a government of democracy and incompetence?
The Star