This is a picture from the Sunday Times, showing a nun praying for her country (Zimbabwe) while people queue up behind her to cast their votes in an election that many believe will be rigged. All I know is that the inflation rate is 100,000%, only 1 in 5 have a job, 1/3 of the population depends on food aid, the life expectancy is down to 35 years, the people are terrorised by the government, and millions of Zimbabweans have fled across the border into South Africa, most of them illegally. And this in a country that only twenty years ago was called the "Bread Basket" of Africa, because of the wealth of agriculture. I have heard personal stories from Zimbabweans, both here in South Africa and in Swaziland. The stories will make you weep. I don't want to start a debate on immigration, but my heart goes out to these people. When they arrive here in South Africa, they end up hiding in the townships (police can't track them down so easily there), they can't get jobs (if they are not here legally), and they aren't much better off. The South Africans out in the townships are often upset because they blame the rise in crime on foreigners such as the Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.
And here is me - born and raised in the U.S. - who has had it rather easy for most of my life. To think that I have been complaining about my microwave oven for the last week...
There goes another layer of my American worldview.
2 comments:
I can't imagine those stories. I have heard a few from Johan but nothing from a true immigrant. Life is different all over the world. There is nothing like missional living to do that.
Oh, and nice microwave story (and good song, One Way)!
Thanks for the much needed perspective.
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