On The Eve of Elections

Tomorrow South Africa will elect a new president. In the year and a half I have lived here, tomorrow's winner will be the third president. After President Mbeki's forced resignation, and then interim President Kgalema Motlanthe, tomorrow's expected winner is Jacob Zuma, a man recently acquitted (mysteriously, dare I say) of 16 corruption charges, a man who said he wouldn't get AIDS because he "took a shower" afterwards, a man whose theme song is "Bring Me My Machine Gun", a man who says that the news media "must be reformed."

On the eve of tomorrow's election, I am feeling introspective, thoughtful. In all the years I lived in the U.S., I never worried about a presidential election. Sure, I voted for who I thought would be best, but even when "my" candidate lost, I never feared for my country. Had doubts, maybe, or even disappointments, but never fear. And now I find myself living in a country - a beautiful country - in which tomorrow's election holds such uncertainty, such fear of the future. Will things turn violent? Probably not. Will South Africa "go the way of Zimbabwe"? I fervently pray not.

But I will say this: I realise, on a night like this, how fortunate I am to have lived in such safety all of my life thus far. I do not think most people in the world can say that. Yet never once do I regret the move to South Africa. This is where God has placed me, and this is where I shall stand. I choose not to fear the future. I choose instead to walk forward with my eyes fixed on Jesus.