SUNSHINE THOUGHTS

JAYLEE GERTSE Editor-in-Chief

A CARING HEART

Greetings beloveds I hope your hearts are doing well this week.

I am of the strong opinion that we were made for and in community. Way back in Genesis it was seen how Adam and Eve existed together with the birds of the sky, all the other living beings and nature all around them. There are various references in the Bible on ‘togetherness’ and communal care.

MY s i s t e r a n d I e n c o u n t e r e d a situation in this week that made us feel stuck, there was an issue with her car as we were on our way home from an appointment. We certainly n e e d e d a s s i s t a n c e i n t h a t moment, it wasn’t something that we could handle on our own. During our situation we made contact with loved ones who could assist us and they tried their utmost best, but what stood out to us the most was four strangers immediately leaving everything they were set out to do for that moment to assist us.

One couple were on their way to the mall, one guy sped past us with paperwork in his hand and another guy was an Uber driver. In our country and as women we’ve grown so accustomed to the coldness and crime factor of our society that we honestly didn’t expect such genuinely benevolent assistance. When the couple passed us, the lady turned to her partner and said, “babe they need help” and immediately he stepped in and assisted. Their character came through as they didn’t complain or even joke about ‘these women who has no idea how to sort out their car problem’. They were all male and didn’t make us feel inadequate, instead they were particularly concerned for our wellbeing asking if we would be okay when they left.

In fact, we tried our utmost best to sort out this situation on our own first. In the light of GBV, the high crime rate and society’s unwillingness to reach out a helping hand (mostly because of the self-centred and independent culture but also because people’s trust had been broken) - we weren’t going to take chances. Add COVID-19 to the package and we’re all extremely attentive to just being vulnerable and asking for help. We had to wait a bit for one of our friends who worked nearby to come out to assist us and so we were just using that time to bask in the sun. The Uber driver drove past us for a second time, parked his car and asked if we were okay, I knew our friend needed to wait another ten minutes before he could leave work, but I just said ‘Yes sir, thank you we are okay’. He ended up parking his car near us, didn’t speak a word to us any further. Our friend only arrived 20 minutes later and when he arrived and we got out of the car to greet him, only then did the man leave. My sister was the one who realised that he waited with us for that entire time.

When we drove home, we discussed the moment, and our responses. And immediately agreed that God intended for people to be in community, so that we can live, share and grow together. I’m really growing into that idea of life. We are created to assist (help) and be assisted (helped). We are created to cover each other’s backs as a human race regardless of gender, race, culture, religion or class. We were meant to exist in harmony with each other and assist each other without complaint. My hopes sparked in that moment when I realised that a South Africa such as this is totally possible.

In this new week consider ways in which you can create this community of care that our country so desperately needs.

Take care and stay safe,

We were meant to exist in harmony with each other and assist each other without complaint.