Identity - Scope Magazine Edition 1 - Stellenbosch by Scope Magazine

a new view

ISSUE 01 2015 #01

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STELLENBOSCH

PERSPECTIVE

REVIEWS

SIMUNYE

SAVVY STUDENT

THE ART OF ‘SELFIE’

MAJOZI

WAAR PAS EK IN?

OORLEEF DIE EKSAMEN NAGMERRIE

who are we? Hello! Before I say anything else about Scope Magazine, I want to thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to give it a read. It’s fitting for us to launch our first edition under the overarching title, ‘ The Redefinition’ because this is precisely what we’re intending to do this year. As the printed version is going out onto university campuses across the Western Cape, thousands of students will be picking it up and reading about issues that are prevalent in our culture today. Young people will be engaging with issues from a perspective that they may have never been exposed to before, and our hope is that they will consider a new definition of reality. It’s important for you to know from the outset that we will never impose a religious agenda on you, nor force you to accept anything that we publish. We truly respect your viewpoint on the things that matter most in life and would love to hear what you believe. Our desire is to create a platform where those with seemingly opposite worldviews still feel like they can freely dialogue. It is during these exciting varsity years that you will start to solidify a framework of belief that will shape the way you think and be reflected in the way you live. I would encourage you to come with an open mind

as you grapple with the questions that we all need to ask, make time to hear how other students and older folk around you answer, and formulate a worldview that is true not because it is accepted by the masses. You have been blessed with the capacity to think and now have ample opportunity to investigate for yourself where Truth may be found. A central aim of Scope Magazine is to tr y and show the scope that the Gospel has to permeate into all spheres of life. Jesus Christ was the best person to demonstrate this. He associated with the religious elite as much as the social outcasts of that day and claimed to have the authority to deal with the sin He recognised equally in both groups. His purpose wasn’t to judge but rather save sinners who believe that they are loved and forgiven on the cross and can have eternal life beyond this world by trusting in their Saviour King. There is so much more that can be said, but that’s why we’ve got a website. Please head on over there if you want to know anything more about who we are and what exciting things are happening online.

Much love, JONATHAN JUST: EXECUTIVE EDITOR

STELLENBOSCH Issue 01, 2015, #01 d Scope Magazine f @scopestudents

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Introducing students to a bigger scope of our world today through the lens of the Bible.

ON THE FRONT SIYASANGA HAYI PHOTOGRAPHER ANDREW JURIES

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contributors

team

JEREMY JAMES BRADFORD

JONATHAN JUST

MAIN FEATURE

MICHAEL JUST .. ZOE RAS

ENGAGE OUTLOOK

COPY EDITOR

PAUL A-ANN SMIT

PARADIGM SHIFT

PROOF READING

CATHERINE BURGESS

REASON

DESIGN & L AYOUT

DANIEL A HAMMOND

WHAT’S MY STORY?

DESIGNER

MARCEL VAN TONDER

INTERVIEW

PHOTOGRAPHY

MINDY FOURIE

GEMEENSKAP

DISTRIBUTION

JAQUES LOURENS

NUTTIGE WENKE

SECRETARY

MAX QOYO

EXECUTIVE EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR

DR. ELISABETTA PORCU & ELLIS H. POTTER CHRIS & SOPHIE DE WITT JENNA COWLEY

JOHN-PAUL HARPER LEONARD STRYDOM

PROF. NICO KOOPMAN RUAN SL ABBERT NICOLETTE VAN SCHALKWYK

Bank Capitec Bank Branch 470010 Acc. No. 1418960924 Reference (Donor ’s name)

I DE NT I T Y

contents

P ERS P EC T I VE

TES TI F Y

WHO AM I?

03-04

WHAT’S MY STORY? / LEONARD STRYDOM

ENGAGE BUDDHISM

INTERVIEW / PROF. NICO KOOPMAN

COMPARISON & COMPETITION

06-07

THE ART OF ‘SELFIE’

VARSITY PULSE

WHAT MAKES JESUS SO SPECIAL?

S I MU NY E PLUGGED IN

GEMEENSKAP / WAAR PAS EK IN?

REVI EW S S AV V Y S TU DENT RESOUND / MA JOZI

11-12

NEW TUNE / ANECNOTE

RHYMES & RECIPES

FOR YOUR READING / MIRROR MIRROR

OORLEEF DIE EKSAMEN NAGMERRIE

20-21

THE FIRST WORD G RE E TI N G S, It has been quite a busy and eventful first half of 2015. Now as we head into the exam time, it can be very stressful for a lot of students. I encourage you, for this reason, to read some of the stuff in this

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THE ISSUE OF IDENTITY IS SOMETHING SO ENGRAINED WITHIN US. publication which may just be that voice of hope, guidance and peace that you need. The issue of identity is something so engrained within us. There are many things that form who we are as humans, factors that make us the way we are today. It’s good to stop in the hurry of everyday life and

examine what these are exactly. Two articles that particularly stand out for me in this first edition of Scope Magazine is The Art of ‘Selfie’ by Jenna Cowley on page 8, and Waar Pas Ek In? by Ruan Slabbert on page 18. How do we view ourselves in relation to the rest of the world? And how does community in the church fulfil our deep need for belonging? Expect to find some surprising answers to these and other questions. We are so quick to judge our intrinsic value as humans based on the subjective standards that we set for ourselves instead of remembering how God created us and how He showed His love for us. I’m reminded of Psalm 139:14 which says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” When you were created, God carefully knitted together something wonderful. In Isaiah 43, God promises to redeem or buy back His people from the consequences of their sin which is judgement and death. This was pointing to when

Jesus would come and die on the cross, freeing those once enslaved to their sin. If you believe this, God has the following words to say to you from Isaiah 43 verse 1: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Good luck with the exams and enjoy the holidays – I know I will!

ZOE RAS MANAGING EDITOR “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” (C.S. Lewis)

P E R S P E C T I V E M A I N F E AT U R E

BY JEREMY JAMES BRADFORD

remember walking home from university on a clear day, pretty typical of Cape Town summer weather. I came up to an intersection with traffic lights and pressed the pedestrian crossing button. As I waited for the light to change, I noticed a man walking between the cars holding a sign asking for money or some food. On the rare occasion car windows opened to offer help while others simply closed. The majority, however, had come up with a strategy of ignoring the beggar despite his efforts to make eye contact with them. And while I was watching this pattern unfold, I began to realise that this behaviour is something that I do as well. I turn my eyes away because I understand on a human level what it means to look at someone. If I made eye contact I would recognise not a beggar but a human. This interaction happens on a daily basis. In most institutions there are invisible people, invisible not to the eye but to the soul, people with stories and lives, seen but never heard. The invisibility of these people is the objectification of them. It is the reduction of these lives to nothing more than what meets the eye. Objectification is the determining of people’s values based on their appearances and how ‘useful’ they are to you. Objectification makes people invisible because the only thing one ‘sees’ is an object and not a human. Objectification, simply put, is the dehumanisation of someone else – the making of an-other into an ‘other’. In the Gospel of John we read a story of Jesus encountering a Samaritan woman at a well.1 The political context of the time was one in which women were considered inferior to men and Samaritans inferior to Jews. It was against the political and social customs

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of the time for Jews to interact with Samaritans and for women to interact with men in this particular setting. But Jesus, who is a Jewish man, does. What is of utmost significance is Jesus’ ability to look beyond the woman’s political identity and see her as more than an ‘other’. He treated her with humility and empathy, asking her questions about her life, recognising her humanity. It might seem strange to use this type of language, but what is of interest is the dismay of the disciples when they witness Christ speaking with her. It is this dismay that points to the political and social objectification of other people. What Christ did in this instance was, to quote Rick Turner, “be open to other people and to react to them and their needs, not in terms of preconceived, stereotyped ideas and attitudes, but afresh in each new situation. To be able to love other persons is to be able to communicate with them, to be open to their way of seeing the world. It is to go directly to the person, rather than to the role or stereotype.”2

THE SLAVE MASTER WAS NEVER FREE What are the ethics behind objectification? I wish to continue to draw on Rick Turner’s work as he speaks about

transcendental ethics over and above an internal ethics. The latter refers to a code of ethics that is determined by relationships and institutions while the former refers to an ethic that transcends this. In the case of a slave-master relationship, internal ethics and morality

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PRIVILEGE FEEDS PRIDE AND PRIDE FEEDS PRIVILEGE. PRIVILEGE IS EXPRESSED IN NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE THAT ARE HURTING, THOSE THAT ARE MARGINALISED AND OPPRESSED. would be structured around how the master and the slave interact in relation to each other. The master could then be seen as a ‘good’ master should he or she treat the slave well, and a ‘bad’ master would do the opposite. However, when one applies an ethics that transcends the structure, it allows for one to call into question the slavemaster structure entirely. A transcendental ethics would argue that there is no such thing as a good master or a bad master, because being a master of anyone is wrong. In fact, the ‘good’ master would be considered to be just as bad, if not worse than the ‘bad’ master, because the ‘good’ master makes the unjust structure bearable for the slave and therefore limits the slave’s conception of freedom to that particular system. In the same way, the master is only free insofar as the there are slaves, and therefore the master’s freedom is dependent on the slave. In fact the master is a slave to the political and social structures that he or she is surrounded by. In South Africa the brutality and oppression of Colonialism and Apartheid were horrific. It was not only violence done against bodies, but violence against languages and cultures. It was a violence of instilling an inferiority complex into people to ensure the superiority of another. It was a system that produced, as Rick Turner argues, “white lords and black slaves, and no human beings”3. The existence of white people in South Africa was founded on the negation of others, such that one can only be a master if there is a slave. One can only be rich if there are poor, beautiful if there are ugly, intelligent if there are stupid, and white if there are blacks.

PRIVILEGE MAKES IT EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO PASS THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”4 Privilege prevents one from listening to and loving those who are oppressed. Privilege feeds pride and pride feeds privilege. Privilege is expressed in not being able to understand the experiences of those that are hurting, those that are marginalised and oppressed. Oppression is not always visible and privilege makes it even more difficult to see and understand it, and often listening to those who are in fact oppressed is the only way to begin to see it. The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who give up their privilege for the sake of others. Privilege is what allows for a statue to silence the voices of many. Privilege allows one to never have to meet the person but only the roles and stereotypes of people. Privilege is being enslaved by the social and political structure of society at a particular time. Privilege deafens us to listening to how other people experience reality. Privilege makes us believe that people want to be like me – rich, educated, white, male and so on and so forth. Privilege is believing that we hold the solution to problems without having to acknowledge that privileged people are problematic. It is obvious why it is so hard for a privileged person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, because privilege makes us believe we are loving when in fact we are limiting others’ conceptions of freedom to accepting the status quo, which is an oppressive status quo. Take some time to read the Bible and as you do you will find that God is for the oppressed, opposed to the rich and prideful, and in Jesus Christ He has shown the best example of one who interacts and loves those that are marginalised. If you are white and/or middle to upper class, be honest with who you are in the Bible. At times I identify more with the Pharisees wanting to protect tradition and social norms, while Christ tries to change these for His Kingdom and for the oppressed. I think many people upon entering heaven will be surprised to find that Christ is not a white man. Ignoring the beggar at the car window is possibly an indication of trying to protect privilege and maintain social norms. Could I ask you to pray that we would work with Christ in loving each other beyond what is socially acceptable? ENDNOTES 1) John 4:1-42 2) Rick Turner, Eye of the Needle 3) Rick Turner, Black Consciousness and White Liberalism 4) Matthew 19:24

JEREMY JAMES BRADFORD is an undergraduate student at the University of Cape Town studying towards a Psychology and Sociology Major. He has aspirations of becoming an academic in either Sociology or Psychology, specific to post-colonial theory. He enjoys playing frisbee and reading.

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P E R S P E C T I V E E N G AG E

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ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHIST TEACHINGS, EVERYTHING IS IMPERMANENT, INCLUDING ONE’S OWN SELF.

DR. ELISABETTA PORCU TEACHES ASIAN RELIGIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN. HER FIELD OF SPECIALISATION IS JAPANESE RELIGIONS.

According to the Buddha’s hagiography, after having spent 29 years in his luxurious palace away from all the suffering and anxieties of this world, the historical Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) decided to take four rides with his charioteer. It was then for the first time that he encountered an old person, a sick person, a dead body, and a religious mendicant. The charioteer explained to him that old age, sickness, and death are common to all individuals, and, at that point, Siddhartha Gautama decided to leave his palace and began a religious path that brought him to attain awakening and thus become a Buddha (“The Awakened One”). The Buddha realised that his luxurious life was linked to attachment to both mundane things and his own ego (self). In his first

WHAT IS THE BUDDHIST’S FRAMEWORK OF THINKING WHEN IT COMES TO THE NOTION OF ‘SELF’?

sermon, he taught that life is suffering and suffering is caused by attachment. However, suffering can be ended by removing the cause of attachment. According to the Buddhist teachings, everything is impermanent, including one’s own self. It is precisely by recognising and understanding this impermanence that it is possible to reach the stage of awareness called awakening or enlightenment. Through the teachings of the Buddha the original idea of the self (ātman) still present in Hinduism was thus transformed into the concept of “non-self” (anātman), which is one of the three marks of existence in Buddhism, the other being impermanence (anitya) and suffering (dukkha).

PURE LAND BUDDHISM IN MODERN JAPANESE CULTURE

3 THEORIES OF EVERYTHING

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ELLIS H. POTTER IS AN INDEPENDANT MISSIONARY TEACHER LIVING IN BASEL, SWITZERLAND. HE WAS A ZEN BUDDHIST FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE BECOMING A CHRISTIAN.

IN CHRISTIANITY RELATIONSHIPS SUCH AS LOVE ARE ABSOLUTE AND ETERNAL.

Buddhism is a Monistic worldview, believing in the basic unity of all reality. This can be expressed by very inviting phrases such as “All is One” or “You are one with the ALL.” If all is One, then the SELF is all. So the SELF itself is the framework of everything and it is everything. If all is One then unity is good and diversity is a distortion or illusion. Diversity is necessary for thinking because thinking involves relating one thing to another. So, the Buddhist’s framework is not a framework for thinking but for being. A Buddhist doesn’t want to think about the notion of ‘self’ but to be SELF. Wanting or desire is a function of diversity and relationships, so when a Buddhist realises Buddha Nature they no longer want to think or want anything. They simply are in the non-relational Bliss of Unity. Christianity, in contrast, is not a Monistic worldview, but a Trinitarian one in which both unity AND diversity are absolute. In this worldview, thinking is valid on every level of existence. Diversity and relationships are also valid. The Christian framework

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of thinking when it comes to the notion of ‘self’ is a framework of relationships. This means that the ‘self’ has meaning only in relationship to ‘other’. In Christianity relationships such as love are absolute and eternal. The Christian framework supports thinking. Although our question does not invite a description of Christianity, perhaps we can understand “the Buddhist’s framework of thinking when it comes to the notion of ‘self’” by talking about what it is not. The absolute starting point of the Biblical worldview is a Personal God. What the Bible means by “personal” is not only identity but relationships. In a Trinitarian reality personality is beyond identity only and in relationships. So, in the Christian framework, our personal relationships in the creation have a ground outside of the creation in the absolute Personal Creator. Christians don’t hope to transcend relationships but to fulfill them in the context of a truly personal God who loves us.

P E R S P E C T I V E O U T LO O K

ave you ever been to the shopping centre, passing someone as you quickly give him/her an up-anddown scan? It’s just a two second appraisal. And as you look at them, the truth is, they are also probably doing the same thing.

What are we doing? We’re comparing ourselves with each other. How does my figure match up to hers? Does he seem as confident/cool/effortless as me? On these measuring scales do I win, compared to them? Or do I lose? Why do we do it? Essentially we tell ourselves what I’m after is to make sure I’ve got more of something than others, so that I can feel significant, satisfied and secure about who I am. Comparison and competition is the compulsive measuring of myself against the standard of others, desiring to be better. LOOKING UP AND LOOKING DOWN When we compare ourselves to others we will either ‘win’ or ‘lose’. If we lose, we’ll find ourselves doing a ‘looking up’ comparison. We might think, “His life is so much more interesting than mine,” or, “She is so much more confident than me.” If we win, then we’ll do a ‘looking down’ comparison, proudly thinking: “I just take better care of my appearance than her,” and, “I would never let my life become as disorganised as his.” ‘Looking up’ comparisons and ‘looking down’ comparisons each produce a different set of symptoms. How do you feel when you compare and compete and come off worse? Perhaps you will recognise some of the ‘looking up’ symptoms: Inadequacy, despair, self-pity: this may be

fleeting or it may be more profound. You’re not the person you want to be. You’re just not good enough. Envy: it’s not fair. They’ve got what you want. And you dislike them a little for having it. How come they get to have what you need to be satisfied? Anxiety or insecurity: You’re not doing as well as others. If only you were as confident, or wealthy, or energetic or loved as that friend, there’d be no need to worry. But you’re not. Guilt: you’ve let others down. You’re failing the ones you love. So perhaps they won’t keep loving you now… Bitterness, grumbling: we can get bitter with other people, and grumble about all sorts of things. But in the Bible, bitterness and grumbling tend to be directed at God. ‘Why did God give me this life when he has given so much more to others?’ and this can lead us to ignoring God altogether – because if there was a God, he would’ve made you more like the other person. Here are the symptoms of ‘looking down’ comparisons: Pride, arrogance: You’re just so much better than that girl. You would never let your hair/ marks/boyfriend look like that. Well done to you for getting where you are. When we see this kind of self-congratulation in others, we usually call it arrogance. When I see it in myself, I like to call it ‘self-confidence’! The Bible calls it ‘pride’. Superiority: Pride in yourself leads to a sense of superiority over others. After all, you’ve got what he hasn’t, so you are, in a sense, better than him, aren’t you? Inverted superiority: You’re glad you aren’t

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O U T LO O K

as arrogant as her. You feel superior that you don’t feel as superior as them! Insecurity and anxiety: You’re doing better than him, but how about the next person you compare yourself to? What if they’re doing better than you? THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE Each day we look up and we look down, and feel anxious and self-sufficient, guilty and proud, despairing and smug. What we don’t feel is the sense of significance, satisfaction or security that we’re searching for as we compare ourselves to others. One of the things I find the most unsettling about the Bible, but also the most liberating, is that it calls things for what they are. ‘A great air of confidence’ to God is ‘arrogance’; a desire to be self-sufficient. He describes people who are “arrogant and never at rest … never satisfied”1. Perhaps you’re someone who always feels the

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COMPARISON AND COMPETITION IS THE COMPULSIVE MEASURING OF MYSELF AGAINST THE STANDARD OF OTHERS, DESIRING TO BE BETTER. need to be better – and, let’s be honest, it’s exhausting. You struggle to admit to yourself that someone does something better than you, because that will undermine your whole self-image and your sense of significance. Your identity is based on the idea that you are better than others. This comparison and competition is ultimately caused by our desire to put ‘me’ at the centre of the universe, and at the centre of our hearts, to feel more significant for our own satisfaction. Being made by God, uniquely formed by Him in His image isn’t where we find our significance, but rather it is by measuring ourselves against others. In the end, the treatment to this problem is as wonderful as it is challenging. It can be summed up simply as: let God be God. Instead of pushing God out of

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the centre of our lives, the cure is to reverse this by restoring God to His rightful place, finding all we need in Him. A SOBERING VIEW OF SELF Seeing ourselves as we really are doesn’t stop there. It involves not only seeing that we are not God; it means confessing that we have lived thinking that we are God, and He isn’t. The Bible calls this sin. Sin is an unpopular concept in our culture, which tends to tell us that the answer to our problems and worries is to build ourselves up. The Bible does the opposite of this: it shows us that we are worse than what we think. If I’m honest, God’s way of looking at me is far more accurate than mine. When I honestly look at my own heart, at the pride and envy and bitterness that live there, I begin to see that I am truly what God says I am: a sinner. That’s the reality. It’s depressing. But at least it’s real. And in that sense, it’s liberating to know that I’m a sinner. If it were simply left at this, we would have to continue comparing and competing for significance or simply despair. The good news is that God hasn’t left us here and by letting God be God we can ask Him to be our Saviour. Ephesians 2 verse 5 says that God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions”. That’s how significant you are. God loves you enough not to leave you facing His punishment. In Christ, He came and lived and died and rose as a man so that you could be made alive. That’s how loved you are. No one can love us any better, any more, than the Lord Jesus who gave up heaven and experienced hell for His people. If this is you, that’s the value God places on your head, simply because of His great love. It’s not image, circumstances or achievements that affects how He sees you. It’s God choosing to love us and you enjoying the blessing of being with Him forever. ENDNOTES 1) Habakkuk 2:5

CHRIS & SOPHIE DE WITT are happily married and have three children: Molly, Zach and Joseph. Chris is an associate pastor at the Message Church in Mowbray. Sophie has written “Compared to Her,” a book on comparison and the biblical solutions for women. Chris is in the process of writing a book on competition and comparison specifically for men.

P E R S P E C T I V E PA R A D I G M S H I F T

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eeing #selfie on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has become commonplace these days. The ‘selfie’ is now a cultural phenomenon worldwide, with participants ranging from teenagers to celebrities and even to presidents. The word “selfie” has even been recognised by the Oxford Dictionary which defines it as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media”. An alternative and simple definition is “a picture taken of a person by that person”. A popular dance song entitled “Selfie”, with over 300 million views on YouTube, is a tangible indication of the pervasiveness of the selfie culture. The Wikihow page, “How to take good selfies” has been created to assist selfie-takers in perfecting their selfie skills. To further complement the endeavour, the inventive ‘selfie stick’ has been designed to overcome physiological limitations; enabling improved angles of one’s appearance. All this media hype and societal acceptance depicts an attitude that we should embrace and encourage ‘selfie’ behaviour – because it’s just a fun, social activity. But what are the reasons behind taking a selfie? Is it just an innocent recreational activity among individuals? A way of expressing yourself? Many selfies include multiple individuals and even the selfie-taker’s surroundings, but the majority of selfies portray only one individual. This reveals

“ ARE YOU TRYING TO PROJECT YOUR SELF-IMAGE SO THAT YOU CAN FEEL SELF-ASSURED? the underlying issue of the selfie: it could be seen as a type of narcissistic act, an obsession with the self. No longer are we taking photos of our friends and the sights we see, but rather the photo is of me, my image, and my identity. We all have a particular image of ourselves that we portray to those around us, an image that we want validated by others. The more ‘likes’ and positive attention our selfies get, the better we feel about our self-image; our anxieties are comforted by others. Our egos are too easily affected, not only by others, but by the fickle standards that we set for ourselves. American author and theologian, Timothy Keller, explains in his sermon and book, “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness”1 four traits of the human ego (empty, painful, busy and fragile) which create our need to be affirmed.

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1. The emptiness of our egos is due to our desire to build our identity on things besides God. We are constantly trying to achieve our own sense of self-worth, looking to other things beside God to fill the void. We find our identity and confidence in our careers, relationships and self-images – things that are imperfect and fleeting. 2. Our egos feel pain because our self-image is constantly being hurt by others and by ourselves when it doesn’t measure up to those set standards, therefore it is never happy. 3. The busyness of the ego is revealed in the way it never fails to draw attention to itself by comparing itself to others and boasting in what it is. This is exactly what will cause us to be proud. C.S Lewis very wisely states that “pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person.”2 4. In being proud and trying to build up our identities in this way, the human ego reveals its fragility. We’re always feeling either inferior or superior to others and are never content with who we are. After admitting these flaws in the foundation of our selfimage, what or who should we allow to shape our image and identity? Where should we find our identity and comfort? For Christians, identity is found in the finished work of Jesus. He was condemned for the sin of the world in His death on the cross to make it possible to live in opposition to self-obsession. It’s not about high or low self-esteem based on the verdict of what you do or how good you look, but remembering, as Keller says: “In Jesus Christ you get the verdict before the performance.” This is what it means to be self-forgetful. Next time you take a selfie, think about why you’re doing it. Is it innocent fun? Or are you trying to project your selfimage so that you can feel self-assured? Consider these words from Paul in Philippians 2 verse 3-4: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ENDNOTES 1) Scan this QR code to listen to The Freedom of SelfForgetfulness for free 2) Mere Christianity, page 122

JENNA COWLEY is a linguist in the making and works at Stellenbosch University as a part-time teaching assistant in the General Linguistics Department and in the Postgraduate Skills Development programme. She loves running, forests and striving to serve the Lord in every opportunity.

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P E R S P E C T I V E VA R S I T Y P U L S E

How do the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa show a failure to see who we could be as a multicultural country? BY JAMES DE VILLIERS

I am not part of the ‘born-free’ generation, I am a part of the scared generation. I am a part of a generation that would rather run to the comfort of their own homes than use their freedom to stand up for human dignity. This is a compassionless generation – a wasted generation. Or, that is what some make me believe.

Like I said, it seems like I am a part of a scared generation. We are a part of a generation that chooses to stay silent; a wasted generation. Why is this? We cannot be careless when God is looking for people who are courageous.

For you see, today I set out to ask the masses at Stellenbosch University how they felt about xenophobia. This seemed like a simple enough question, with a very predictable answer. I thought that it would be easy for Christian students at the very least to reach the consensus that xenophobia is wrong. However, the responses I received were shocking. “Will this be anonymous?” and, “I don’t think this is my place to talk,” and even, “I try not get involved” were just some of the responses thrown around carelessly. Some person even replied that he doesn’t want to hear about xenophobia because he’s planning to leave this country. He hence implies that “this is not applicable to me.”

“Xenophobia scares me because of the fact that people are being attacked without their attackers being certain whether or not the victim is a South African citizen or not. This creates an opportunity for people to commit crimes against humanity and property without legal consequences or fear of being prosecuted.” - MICHELLE BEZUIDENHOUT (LLB,

It seems that this is a careless generation because they do not see that refusing to take a stand against the common “this doesn’t concern me” consensus keeps the truth from being spoken. It keeps the voices of thousands who fled into the darkness to save their lives from being heard. It keeps their plight silent. The reality for Christians is that when the world cries, we do not respond. When people cry we simply look away. How can we say that we love our brothers when we fail to speak up for the injustices against them? How can we say that we follow Jesus’ example when we are too afraid to feel the hurt of the people affected? I cannot blame society for being as twisted as it is, because when society asks for leadership, we shy away. When we need to be the morally just voice against xenophobia, we rather choose to stay silent. How can we expect change when there’s no one willing to take responsibility for what has been happening?

Here are some students’ answers:

5TH YEAR)

“I feel that xenophobia in our country is out of control. I do agree that it is wrong that there are illegal immigrants, but the way that foreigners are being attacked is inhumane. It’s been happening and swept under the rug.” - YIUFAI RICKY CHAN (BACC, 3RD YEAR)

“I believe that I am an African before I am a South African, therefore I am against xenophobia.” - PRUDENCE PONASO JANTLO (SOCIAL WORK, 2ND YEAR)

“As a foreigner living in South Africa I feel so disheartened and unsafe. I simply cannot fathom the thought of having someone feel the need to take away all that I own and have come to know and love, simply because in their eyes they feel I don’t belong.” - FRANCINE INGABIRE (FORESTRY, 2ND YEAR)

“I do not support the acts of violence against foreigners. We are one nation and should welcome everyone.” - KAYLA SCHOLTZ (BCOM LAW, 2ND YEAR)

“It’s atrocious that South Africans cannot seem to welcome others in their midst so shortly after the shocking effects of Apartheid. When people were once discriminated against on the basis of their race, they’re now being discriminated against on the basis of their nationality. However, in order to overcome this, we need to overcome pride- it all stems from an issue of the heart.” - EDWIN BUNGE (BACC, 2ND YEAR)

WORD ON THE TWEET @mailandguardian

After the recent #xenophobic violence in SA the #NewYorkTimes wrote that 5m immigrants call South Africa home.

@SakinaKamwendo #Afrophobia or #Xenophobia, it is equally abhorrent. I’m ashamed of fellow South Africans who are perpetrating these attacks. #notinmyname

@NDzedze South Africa WHY Have we been led to allow Xenophobia to resurface? A good leader would NEVER... #SayNoToXenophobia

@lead_sa Black, white, Asian, Coloured. Inside, we are all the same #NoToXenophobia @947Crew

@DonUe The Church cannot and must not be silent or passive in this crisis. Speak, do!

@timkellernyc Culture is never so bad that it can’t be redeemed, nor so good that it can’t be critiqued.

@CSLewisU You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. #CSLewisU

@QuotableYancey All too often the church holds up a mirror reflecting back the society around it, rather than a window revealing a different way.

@MahaneySports “We have seen a broad shift from a culture of humility to the culture of what you might call the Big Me.” @nytdavidbrooks

@JohnPiper “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7 KEEP TWEETING @SCOPESTUDENTS WITH #ANEWVIEW

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Jesus @Jesus

REVIEWS RESOUND

MAJOZI MAKING HIS MARK WHERE IT MATTERS MOST BY JONATHAN JUST

ruth Coffee Roasting in Cape Town is buzzing with caffeine lovers and surrounding steampunk décor. It feels like I have just stepped into an almost other-worldly atmosphere as I eagerly wait to meet Majozi.

I see him wearing his trusty Simon and Mary hat, and coming across with a very approachable demeanour. We take our seats and start some casual conversation, but it’s not long before I rattle off my first two questions: “Where are you from and when did you start making music?” “I’m from a little place called Mount Edgecombe in Durban and I started making music, well I started playing guitar, when I was thirteen,” he begins. “I started making music more seriously around 2011 just recording stuff with my iPad.” Nhlanhla Majozi (or just Majozi as he prefers to be

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called) has received recent acclaim with singles like ‘The River’, ‘Someday’ and ‘Fire’ which have made him a standard feature on mainstream radio stations like 5FM and KFM. Signing with record label Universal Records, he’s released his second EP entitled ‘Mountains’ which has been available on iTunes since the end of March. Though clearly a gifted musician who incorporates a unique combination of folk, indie and electro into his set, what strikes me most about Majozi is his downto-earth humility. Interested to hear what inspired him to become a songwriter in the first place, he answers candidly: “I’m not good with much else so I enjoy writing songs and I found that it was a good way to express myself. I actually found feelings within myself that I didn’t even know how to express to myself, if that makes any sense? It sounds like I don’t know what I’m thinking in my head. Honestly, a lot of the times I don’t know. Only

“ THOUGH CLEARLY A GIFTED MUSICIAN WHO INCORPORATES A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF FOLK, INDIE AND ELECTRO INTO HIS SET, WHAT STRIKES ME MOST ABOUT MAJOZI IS HIS DOWN-TO-EARTH HUMILITY. when I start writing things down and sing it I actually realise what’s in my heart and I guess that inspired me to be a songwriter.” It’s not easy for local South African musicians to actually pursue a career in music, so what made him decide to take this bold leap into becoming a full time musician? “Long story short, I recorded an EP with a friend. You know, I just wanted to record something so that I could say that I’ve put it onto iTunes, and it was actually well received. One thing led to another and I got some support from guys at church and just went for it.” If you hadn’t guessed it already, Majozi is a professing Christian. Many, either consciously or subconsciously, have this idea of a society divided into the categories of ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’, but is it possible for something or someone to bridge this gap? Majozi and other local mainstream artists like Matthew Mole and Gangs of Ballet who are also followers of Jesus have shown that it is. They have opened their music up for anyone to enjoy, and have brought something refreshingly different to the music scene in the process. But what is Majozi’s reason for broadening his reach? “You listen to the radio and you listen to the songs and a lot of the time the songs are catchy and I love that. I love listening to the radio. It’s embarrassing the songs that I like. It always used to bother me that the material and the meaning behind the songs are so shallow and one-sided and then I realised that they were just singing about what they believed… and I was like, why can’t I do the same? You know, why should I be ashamed? Why can’t I sing commercial songs and sing what I believe? Not necessarily sing Christian contemporary music, just sing music that everyone likes and have what I believe in it because that’s what everyone does. That’s what Nicki Minaj does. That’s what Drake does. They sing about what they believe, so that’s what I want to do and sing to everyone.” Those who wouldn’t normally be interested in listening to ‘Christian music’ in the past are being exposed to a new and perhaps more attractive form of what

this could sound like. Excellent production matched with creative lyrics salted with the truths of the Bible is inviting more people into a new perception of reality. Not only is the word ‘Jesus’ tattooed on Majozi’s body, but Jesus is also honoured in the words of his music. There is a definite anthem of hope that rings through a number of his songs, probably most poignantly in ‘The River’. Here is an extract from the chorus: “Sometimes life it feels like a cancer and there’s no reason to love. But I tell you now you will find the answer in the God who came from above.” Majozi has been active in the local music scene for about two years now. The question I pose to him is how he has been able to hold to his identity as a Christian in an industry that could easily try to squeeze him into something that he’s not. “Luckily working in the church made me, I don’t want to say pretty strong, but it gave me a good foundation,” he shares. “I’ve always had a good foundation growing up and people around me when I go back home after touring are very supportive. They understand what I’m trying to do so I don’t want to say I’m super strong but God has given me the strength and He has prepared me through a lot of things for this.” He ends on an honest note: “There was a time when I thought about becoming a full-time musician, but I was like there’s no ways I can do it now. I think now it just seems like the right time and I’ll see how it goes. Maybe something will happen but I can handle it now.” Things are indeed happening for Majozi. And even though this talented musician is becoming a well-known name in South Africa, it is his openness and love for God that has made the biggest impact on me. Go and get his sixsong EP, Mountains, on iTunes – scan this

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Nhlanhla Majozi

JONATHAN JUST graduated from UCT at the end of 2013. He is chasing after his dream of becoming a publisher and is a squash player and coach at a few schools close to where he lives. Jesus has redefined who he is today.

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REVIEWS NEW TUNE

hat do you get when you mix five individuals from diverse backgrounds, a love for smooth vocals, and what was once considered “the purest form of music”? I would like to introduce you to AnecNote, the Cape Town-based a cappella super group that seem to be hitting all the right notes on the local scene.

cappella music, they decided to start their own group. As they were looking around they soon came across Morne Kuhts who does the bass vocals but were still in need of some treble. It didn’t take long for them to meet Leah Adams and Emma de Goede through mutual friends and they have been blending their voices ever since.

They are Daniel Nambassi, Kevin Smuts, Morne Kuhts, Leah Adams and Emma de Goede. The group’s name, in case you missed it, is a play on the word ‘anecdote’. This, says Nambassi, fits well because they aim to convey short little stories through their music. They have only been together since early 2014 but, despite this, have enjoyed great success. Some highlights include a live performance on the KFM Morning Show with Ryan O’Connor, shining at Kirstenbosch Gardens during the Christmas season last year, and being invited to sing at a TEDx Cape Town event which happened in the Cape Town City Hall.

WHAT MAKES ANECNOTE SO SPECIAL?

AnecNote was co-founded by Daniel Nambassi and Kevin Smuts, two students from the UCT Music School. Drawn together by their love for contemporary a

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A CAPPELLA SINGING IS NOT EASY, YET ANECNOTE MAKE IT LOOK EFFORTLESS.

be part of something beautiful.” The diversity in each singer’s upbringing and musical background makes AnecNote original as a unit. Individually they have explored different genres ranging from classical and folk through to jazz and instrumental music, and each member has

A cappella singing is not easy, yet AnecNote make it look effortless. Nambassi says it’s all about listening and trust. “In order to make something sound harmonious, the five of us have to listen very carefully to each other. We also have to trust each other. Trust is a skill that can be hard to master.” ON A HIGH NOTE AnecNote believes God is to be honoured in everything they do, both in their performances and practice sessions but also in their everyday lives. They are thankful for the opportunity God has given them to develop their skills and share their talents with others. If you would like a taste of what they have done, go and find them on YouTube. For bookings and more info email info@ anecnote.com. Stay in the loop about all things AnecNote on Twitter and Facebook.

JOSH GARRELS

ALEX FAITH & DRE MURRAY

HOME

SOUTHERN LIGHTS: OVEREXPOSED

MANSIONS

TOMORROW WE LIVE

Another original alternative folk jam by an artist who shares his unique perception of what God has to say about the idea of home. Pop into noisetrade.com to get the full album for free (score!).

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According to Nambassi, “What makes us a unique force is the fact that the five of us come from very different backgrounds, yet when we join to make one sound we get to

this to bring to the table. It’s evident in their selection and arrangement of songs. Some of their favourite cover songs to perform are “Problem” by Arianna Grande and “Fix You” by Coldplay.

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Collision Records never cease to disappoint and the same can be said about their latest offering. Emcees Alex Faith and Dre Murray tackle socially conscious issues like love, race and faith with sound production that’s second to none.

If one was to describe NF’s first full album in one word, ‘raw’ is probably about right. With razor-sharp honesty about the metaphorical mansions that we often build to give us a false sense of security, it’s straight down the line rap.

Pumping beats and insane lyrical flow is what you can come to expect from Reach Records hip hop artist, KB. This, his second album, may also surprise you with a few slower songs and interesting collaborations thrown in the mix.

R E V I E W S F O R YO U R R E A D I N G

ou’re worth it. Become a better, slimmer you. Buick makes you feel the man you are. The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. Be all you can be... We are constantly being bombarded with slogans that tell us what we should be, what we should own, and how we should value ourselves. We have been given worldly scales by which to measure ourselves based on achievements, looks or intelligence. I admit that how I

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MIRROR MIRROR

GRAHAM BEYNON

160 PAGES, +- R170

GRAHAM BEYNON SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY WE MUST SEE AND VALUE OURSELVES, ANOTHER MIRROR WITH WHICH TO LOOK AT. value myself changes from hour to hour as I compare myself to the various people around me. Our identities are hardly stable. Our self-worth is constantly under threat. In his book, Mirror Mirror, Graham Beynon suggests

that there is another way we must see and value ourselves, another mirror with which to look at. This ‘mirror’ is God’s word and it does not offer us the ‘good’ self-image that the world has told us we need, but a right self-image. James 1:23-24 says that the Bible, God’s word, is like a mirror. We look into it and see what we are really like - warts and all. It is there where you will find who you really are, not from culture, but from God. Beynon has written this book specifically with young adults in mind as he discusses how we carve out an identity in our battles with bad selfimage. It skilfully analyses contemporary pop psychology of self-worth and compares it to that of the Bible in a manner that is accessible and friendly, yet remarkably insightful and challenging. This terrific book paints an accurate picture of who we truly are. It’s a quick and easy read that doesn’t come across as ‘preachy’ or judgemental, rather it is a vital encouragement for you to relook the way you see yourself as God sees you. - CLAIRE MORRISON

DISTINCTIVES

MEET THE REAL JESUS

BRENDA SALTER MCNEIL AND RICK RICHARDSON

VAUGHAN ROBERTS

JOHN BLANCHARD

The problem of racism must be solved through both internal change and community transformation. Are you ready to find out how soul change leads to social change?

Targeting difficult areas such as our attitude to money and possessions, sexuality, contentment, and service is crucial for a contemporary generation.

This book is simple without being simplistic, and doctrinally rich without sounding dull and dry. It persuasively presents the truth about Jesus Christ in such a coherent way that nobody who reads it can miss its message.

THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW

THE HEART OF RACIAL JUSTICE

PHILIP YANCEY

Thousands of books have been written about Jesus, and yet still He remains an elusive figure in history. Who was this man Jesus? What was He like? No one who ever meets Jesus ever stays the same.

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T E S T I F Y W H AT ’ S M Y S TO R Y ?

LEONARD

m wasn’t always and I haven’t always felt like

y name is Leonard and I’m a Christian. But I

staying one. That, however, is the beautiful thing about this Jesus that I serve. He can change anyone. In fact, He can change anyone completely. Here is how He did it for me.

In 2007 I went on a camp, where for the first time in my life I experienced the love of the Father in a worship session; I cried my eyes out and walked away a different person. I went from living the average teenage lifestyle which included lots of alcohol, fights, blurred lines with the opposite sex and all round rebellion to pursuing a godly lifestyle with everything in me. It’s natural to wonder why and how something like this happens. In my case, it was definitely not because I had a desire to be better. In fact I absolutely loved the way I was and saw nothing wrong with it. The only reason for this drastic change was because (as Jesus explained in John 3) I had been born again. I realised that my life was meaningless without God and empty of any sustaining joy. As I cried out in faith by asking God to forgive me and give me new life, He did exactly that. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of an adventure far greater than what I could have ever imagined. From that day onwards my life has been marked by change. I remember one instance clearly where this was made evident to me. About two months after I had given my life over to the Lord, I got into a bit of trouble. To this day I chuckle at the thought of what happened. I had a couple of church friends coming to sleep over at my house and we decided to walk to a nearby shopping mall to go have coffee. That evening on our way back, one of my friends accidentally bumped into a stranger with a mohawk. In those days a mohawk meant trouble and trouble is exactly what we got. Mr. Mohawk turned around and punched my friend in the face. I can’t remember much after this but I was told that as I tried to stop the guy, I

STRYDOM

received the same brutal punishment. As he knocked me over, I hit my head against the pavement and got a concussion. What followed was the real Leonard, without any filters, like something out of a comedy movie. On my way home, I spoke about Sponge Bob. At the hospital I tried to wee on the sofas and when we got back I walked around half naked. One thing I apparently kept asking my friends was what had happened to me. They graciously explained it over and over again. Herein lies the moral of my story: each time they explained it I had a different response. At first I said: “I hope you guys hit the punk back!” But shortly after, my tune changed to the exact opposite: “Oh my, that’s horrible! Did you pray for the guy?” This incident has always served as a faithful reminder that I was, still am and always will be a work in progress. I was given a new heart on the 2nd of March 2007, but am still being changed to become more and more like Jesus until the day I die or He returns. This change, should you desire it, takes place primarily through giving your life over to God by faith (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 10:9). Thereafter we are changed by getting to know Him better in prayer and by reading His word. Just like catching on to the habits of a good friend as you spend time in his presence, you will become more like Jesus as you spend time in His presence and around His people. Change comes in the most unlikely of ways through our difficult times where God says we should rejoice in our sufferings, “because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4) As I look at my life which is continuously changing, I am confident that I will be able to say in the end it was lived in relationship with God who will forever remain constant in the change.

I R E A L I S E D T H AT M Y L I F E W A S M E A N I N G L E S S W I T H O U T G O D A N D E M P T Y O F A N Y S U S TA I N I N G J O Y. 1 5

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TESTIFY INTERVIEW

PROF. NICO

KOOPMAN /

CHATS TO LYNNE SCHOEMAN WHEN HE WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH HIS LIFE, HE ENROLLED FOR A COURSE IN ENGINEERING. HOWEVER, AFTER SOON REALISING THAT THIS WAS NOT FOR HIM, HE OPTED FOR A CAREER IN “SPIRITUAL ENGINEERING” INSTEAD. PROF NICO KOOPMAN HAS JUST BEEN ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM AS THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY. LYNNÉ SCHOEMAN ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS LIFE PATH, HIS ROLE MODELS, HIS PASSIONS AND HOW YOU LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH IN THE WORLD OF ACADEMIA.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD – WHERE DID YOU GROW UP AND WHO WERE YOUR ROLE MODELS? I grew up in small towns in the Northern Cape – I was born in Niekerkshoop and I spent most of my childhood in Koegas and Lime Acres. These were small communities where everyone knew each other and people from different ethnic and church backgrounds were exposed to one another. I learnt a lot about life there. My role models were my parents and people from school and church. I was 12 when I went to high school in Kimberley, where I had to stay with boarding parents who were like a second set of parents to me. I still consider them as role models and I buried both of them in Kimberley as a pastor. My mother died 25 years ago, but my dad is still alive. They are humble people, who inspired me to live according to Christian values. They also taught me a love for academics. They themselves could not go to high school, but they could encourage me. My mom stayed at home and my dad was a mine operator. But to me they are professors because of their wisdom, their knowledge and their character.

WHEN DID YOU BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS? Well, in my case I don’t have a day or a date... I grew up in a Christian home and all my life I have viewed myself as a child of God, a disciple of Christ. Through the years I have just grown by the grace of God and I strive and hunger for having, as the song says, that ‘closer walk with the Lord’.

WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PROF. KOOPMAN LOOK LIKE? AND DO YOU PREFER TEACHING, PREACHING OR WRITING? I like teaching as preaching and preaching as writing! My job is very exciting. Take today as an example – I went to bed at two o’clock this morning after grading some papers. Then I woke up early to do some administration. Then there are meetings about language and what the best language policy is. I am

excited that Stellenbosch has opted for multilingualism. South Africa is not just an English country – we have other languages as well and we must cherish Afrikaans. The multilingual policy is preparing students for life in a multilingual society. Then there are meetings about infrastructure – we need more restrooms for women, because for centuries, theology was a men’s thing and when they built this faculty, they only planned for males. This afternoon I depart to Port Elizabeth for a conference on how Christians live with an ethos of freedom and responsibility. Later today I will also write my column for Die Burger, about xenophobia and church unity, and why church unity is so important to address the country’s challenges. From PE I will go to Pretoria where all the deans of the faculties of theology will meet. Being the Dean is to manage research, teaching and learning, community interaction, and to make sure there is a good 4

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANY STUDENT WHO HAS COME TO VARSITY AND IS EXPOSED TO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT VIEWS, IDEAS AND VALUES THAN BACK AT HOME? Come, and respect plurality. Embrace plurality of cultures, ethnicities, religious and secular worldviews. Don’t come and absolutise your own position. Stand by your own position, because remember, if you stand for nothing you will fall for everything. If you’re a Christian, say ‘I am a Christian’ but open yourself to others to learn from them. We must learn to practise two things amidst our differences – tolerance and embrace. Say, ‘I differ from you but I will tolerate you’ – not in a negative sense but tolerate like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13: ‘I will carry you.’ I would encourage Christians on campus to love God with all their minds. To love God is also to engage in intellectual analysis. Don’t settle for over-simplified solutions – use your mind and seek lasting solutions. Remember to honour God is to seek the dignity of all His people and His creatures.

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S I M U N Y E P LU G G E D I N

JOSHGEN

What is Simunye?

SHOFAR

Scope Magazine is an on-campus church collaboration initiative that operates through the local church network for the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape. Simunye, which in Zulu means ‘we are one’, is a desire for the up-andcoming generation to belong to a community radically changed by the love of God who openly show what real unity in diversity looks like. The words from Jesus Christ in John 13:35 are simple but challenging: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The time has come for churches with a presence amongst students to be joined together by their love for one another and their love for the university. If Gospel partnership is to happen anywhere, it must happen here. Simunye is merely a medium for students both inside and outside church to reconsider the importance of this while studying.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SIMUNYE AND THESE CHURCHES IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD GO TO WWW.SCOPEMAGAZINE.CO.ZA/SIMUNYE.

KRUISKERK

CHRIST CHURCH

GK 6 JOSHGEN

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SHOFAR

EVERY NATION

GRACELIFE

KCI

KEY 1. JOSHUA GENERATION CHURCH. PROVENCE, MILNER RD., WELLINGTON 2. SHOFAR CHRISTIAN CHURCH. HUGENOT PRIMARY SCHOOL, GENERAL HERTZOG ST., WELLINGTON 3. CHRIST CHURCH STELLENBOSCH. 26 BANGHOEK RD., STELLENBOSCH

13 HILLSONG

4. GEREFORNEERDE KERK. MARAIS ST., STELLENBOSCH

14 NEWGEN

5. KRUISKERK. VICTORIA ST., STELLENBOSCH 6. JOSHUA GENERATION CHURCH. VAN DER STEL HALL, BERGZICHT RD., STELLENBOSCH 7. SHOFAR CHRISTIAN CHURCH. ANDRINGA ST., STELLENBOSCH 8. EVERY NATION CHURCH. JANNASCH RD., STELLENBOSCH 9. STELLENBOSCH GEMEENTE. 15 HEROLD ST., STELLENBOSCH 1O. GRACELIFE. RHEENISH GIRLS’ HIGH, KOCH ST., STELLENBOSCH 11. KINGDOM CHURCH INTERNATIONAL. 7 LINTON ST., STELLENBOSCH 12. STELLENBOSCH BAPTIST CHURCH. 6 MERRIMAN ST., STELLENBOSCH 13. HILLSONG CHURCH. CNR. OF MAIN & CENTENARY DR., SOMERSET WEST

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14. NEW GENERATION CHURCH. 13 DERRICK DR., SOMERSET WEST

SIMUNYE GEMEENSKAP

DEUR RUAN SLABBERT

k was al by `n verskeidenheid van kerke- groot en klein. Sommiges met net ou mense, ander weer met verskillende ouderdomme. Kerke met ŉ verskeidenheid van tale en uitdrukkings. By party moes ek baie netjies aantrek en by ander het dit gelyk of ons strand toe gaan. By sommiges het dit gevoel asof ek in ŉ fliek of by ŉ “show” was en ander asof ek in die familie se sitkamer was. Party het lekker geruik en ander soos my oupa se klerekas met motbolletjies. Dit het gevoel of daar ŉ tipe kerk vir elke tipe mens was – selfs die met die motbolletjies in hul baadjiesakke. Dit was eers later toe ek wedergebore was, wat my oë opnuut oopgegaan het vir ŉ geestelike realiteit van Christenskap en “die Kerk”. DIE KERK AS FAMILIE Ek was baie gelukkig dat ek ŉ vreeslike liefdevolle familie gevind het. Daar het ek geleer om liefde te ontvang en te gee. Ek het geleer om te deel en op te offer vir die familie. Ek het geleer dat ek deel bly van

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GOD SE ANTWOORD IS SY KERK, SY FAMILIE, SY LIGGAAM. die familie al maak ek foute. Ek het ook geleer om te vergewe en weer te probeer. As dit met die familie lede indiwidueel goed gaan, dan gaan dit met die hele familie goed. So ook as dit met een sleg gaan, gaan dit sleg met die res. Ons is een. Ek kon ‘ek’ wees en het myself leer ken, omdat ons ŉ familie is. Hierdie is ŉ spieëlbeeld van die hemelse familie: God se familie. Die kerk is gelowiges wat saamgevoeg word deur ons Vader. Alhoewel ons studeer en werk, deel ons ons lewe deur God saam te volg

en saam te aanbid. Ons help mekaar deur moeilike tye en die ruimte is nie belangrik nie. Of ons in die kerk, klaskamer of in die sitkamer ontmoet, ons ondersteun mekaar en God orals en deur als. As familie, is ons ook so toegewyd dat ons nie omgee om mekaar se las te help dra nie. DIE KERK AS LIGGAAM In ŉ liggaam, byvoorbeeld, is als verbind. As dit nie is nie, sien ons dit as ŉ probleem of siekte. Wat met die een deel van die liggaam gebeur, het ŉ impak op die hele liggaam. Selfs die kleinste deeltjies is belangrik- dink net aan hoe waardevol jou kleintoontjie se beskerming teen tafelpote is. Verbintenis is ook belangrik. Die arm word byvoorbeeld as deel van die liggaam gesien, omdat dit verbind is. Sy lewe as’t ware hang dus van sy verbintenis af. Die arm is beperk tot die liggaam, daarom het hy ook die vryheid om die beste arm te wees wat hy kan wees. So ook is die lede van Jesus se liggaam- die kerk. Ons het almal mekaar nodig en vind elkeen waardevol- klein of groot, aansienlik nuttig of nie. Op die ou end is almal van die grootste belang. DIE KERK VERWELKOM MET OPE ARMS Dit is deur hierdie beelde van ŉ liggamlike familie wat God vir ons wys dat daar ŉ plek vir elkeen is. Almal is verskillend, sodat almal kan pas. Nie net is daar plek vir elkeen nie, maar elkeen se bestaan is noodsaaklik. God gee vir ons ŉ Christenskap en kerk-wees waar ons verbind en interafhanklik is as identiteit. Sonder liefde, eenheid, eer, verdraagsaamheid, deelname en

verantwoordelikheid, sal die liggaam of familie ongesond, abnormaal of gebroke wees. Vroeër was die kerk vir my net ŉ plek, ŉ gebou; iets waarna toe ek sou gaan as roetine. As ek nie daarvan gehou het nie, het ek nie terug gegaan nie. Daar was ŉ spesifieke gemeente in Wellington waar ek vir die eerste keer iets anders begin ervaar het. Ek het gesien dat die kerk nie net `n plek is waarnatoe jy gaan nie; maar ŉ lewende organisme waarvan God jou deel maak. As gemeente het ons lewens gedeel. Ek sou die spesifieke gemeente dalk nooit self gekies het nie- want daar kon ek nie net ‘terugsit’ en ontvang nie. Nadenkend weet ek, dat dit tog die beste keuse was om daar te bly. Hulle het my deel gemaak van hul lewens, hoe hulle bid, kinders groot maak, besluite neem, saam eet, verskil oor idees, op uitreike gaan en soveel meer. Ons besef maklik swaarkry. Ons kan insien dat kinders sonder ouers moet groot word of hoe mense met gestremdhede die lewe moeiliker ervaar as ander. Gelukkig is daar fantastiese testamente van oorwinning, aanvaarding en wonderwerke. God het wonderlike planne vir ons geestelike tekortkomingeons moet net Hom vertrou. Vandag se generasie is (Hemels) Vaderloos, en geestelik gestremd. God se antwoord is Sy kerk, Sy familie, Sy liggaam. Mens hoef en kan nie aldag perfek in die uitleef van die Bybel wees nie, maar mens kan tog groeiend en op die pad bly om soos Jesus te word. In Sy wysheid roep God almal om deel te wees van die Kerk – van Hom. RUAN SLABBERT is ‘n kind van God, getroud, ‘n pa en kerkleier van ‘n Joshua Generation gemeente in Wellington. Hy is reeds betrokke met student en die opleiding van jong leiers vir die Kerk van 2001. Hy’s lief vir Jesus, mense van alle agtergronde en ‘n goeie koppie koffie.

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S AV V Y S T U D E N T R H Y M E S & R E C I P E S

.. POESIE & PROSA DEUR ZANI STOFFBERG

WRIGHT RECIPES GREG WRIGHT

APPLE CRUMBLE

MY VUURTORING

KINTSUKUROI

‘n verskynsel in die

Ondanks

donkerte...

My krom nalatenskap

COST: R44.65

kontras raak sterker...

My murmurering

SERVES: 2-4

‘n vuurtoring in die

My teëspraak

verte...

Ondanks

‘n landskaps merker...

My selfsug

hierdie lig brand

My ydele eer

skerp...

My omsien na eie

- vir almal om te sien...

belang

gewerp...

Giet en tap U Uself uit

om ons Vader te dien...

Maak U Uself leeg

kortsluitings mag

Tot dienskneg, tot

kom...

menslike skuim.

‘n kers sal staande

Verneder U Uself in

bly...

gehoorsaamheid

vlam nou ‘n vuur...

-‘n skandelike

het die wind vermy...

kruisdood

FILLING

TOPPING

2 large apples 3 large pears 250ml red wine 250ml water 5ml cinnamon 2.5ml nutmeg 1.25ml turmeric 1.25ml cloves 1.25ml ginger

250ml cake flour 100g butter 80ml brown sugar pinch of salt 5ml baking powder

METHOD

U omvou my - verhoed dat ek

Sodat ek die woord

inkeef...

van die lewe

U liefde

Kan, mag, waag

- rede om te leef...

vashou.

my vuurtoring

Laat U ondanks alles,

- skynende lig

my, ‘n gebreukte kruik

in my lewe ingekom

bruikbaar wees.

- my wêreld kom verlig

FILLING 1

Core, peel and cut the fruit into eighths.

Mix wine, water and spices in a medium-sized pot.

Add the fruit and poach (the water shouldn’t be boiling excessively) for 20 minutes or until fruit is soft when forked.

Remove from heat, leave the fruit submerged in the cooking liquid for about 2-3 hours.

Kintsukuroi:

Drain the fruit, keeping the cooking liquid.

Tot ‘n nederige

Place the fruit into a round 8” baking dish.

Reduce the cooking liquid down to roughly 200ml.

kunswerk. Ondanks alles Gered Fillipense 2:1-18

I S S U E 1 , 2 01 5

This dessert is easy to customise. You can add chopped up strawberries when you pour the fruit into the baking dish. Or add nuts and sultanas for added texture. I normally use Tall Horse Shiraz, which isn’t too fancy and adds a wonderful flavour and colour. I always serve this dessert with fresh pouring cream while it’s piping hot, fresh out the oven!

INGREDIENTS

die lig word na buite

1 9

(DEPENDING ON SELF-RESTRAINT)

TOPPING 1

Pour the liquid over the fruit.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, giving it a good mix.

Soften the butter.

Combine the flour mix and butter, and mix until it is in clumps roughly the size of bread crumbs.

Crumble the topping over the fruit and place into the oven for roughly 30 minutes or until the topping has turned golden brown. The longer you leave it the yummier the topping will get.

S AV V Y S T U D E N T N U T T I G E W E N K E

DEUR NICOLETTE VAN SCHALKWYK

ie eksamentyd is vir meeste mense ’n oorweldigende en pynlike ervaring en gaan dikwels gepaard met ’n groot dosis stres. Akademie het gedurende hierdie tyd die ereplek in studente se lewens, maar jy moet versigtig wees dat jou fisiese en geestelike gesondheid nie aan die kortste end trek nie. Hier is ’n paar eksamenwenke wat jou sal help om deur hierdie tydperk jou gees en liggaam gesond te hou sowel as die stresmonster behoorlik te tem. TREF DIE NODIGE VOORBEREIDING

Dit is vanselfsprekend dat voorbereiding die eerste stap is tot sukses in die eksamen, maar talle studente is onseker oor wanneer hierdie voorbereiding moet begin. Eksamenvoorbereiding is nie net tydens die eksamen nie maar moet reeds gedurende die kwartaal plaasvind. Gaan elke dag na klas deur jou notas sodat jy enige probleme vroegtydig kan identifiseer en hulp kan kry voordat die eksamen aanbreek. Maak ook gebruik van die universiteit se hulpbronne deur uit te vind of daar ekstra klasse aangebied word. Doen addisionele leeswerk in die biblioteek of doen navraag by die dosent of tutor as jy ’n probleem het met die werk. Sodoende kan jy die eksamen met ’n geruste hart ingaan. “’N GESONDE LIGGAAM HUISVES ’N GESONDE GEES”

Alhoewel jou leerwerk baie tydrowend is, is dit steeds belangrik dat jy omsien na jou liggaam. Kies ’n fisiese aktiwiteit wat jy geniet en knip elke dag ’n tydjie af daarvoor. Nie net sal dit help om jou stresvlakke te verminder nie, maar volgens Dr Anita Sturnham, ’n algemene praktisyn en velspesialis, stel dit ook endorfiene, oftewel voel-goed hormone, vry. Hierdie hormone sal jou laat met ’n positiewe uitkyk op die eksamen eerder as ’n gevoel van spanning. Oefening is ook ’n manier om tyd saam met jou vriende deur te bring. Span hulle in om saam met jou te oefen. Sodoende hoef jy nie ekstra tyd te maak vir jou sosiale lewe nie aangesien jy dit sommer met jou oefenroetine kan kombineer. >

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HELPFUL HINTS

EET GESOND

’n Groot euwel gedurende die eksamentyd is ongesonde eetgewoontes. Dit is gewoonlik die tyd wat jy jou vergryp aan elke moontlike vorm van gemorskos. Alhoewel dit op die oog af lyk na ’n kitsoplossing, is dit nie altyd die beste opsie nie. Volgens Lisa Guy, ’n voedseldeskundige, veroorsaak ’n hoë suiker- en kaffeieninname dat jou energievlakke fluktureer en jou konsentrasie afneem. Sy stel voor dat jy eerder kos eet wat hul energie stadig vrystel en jou energievlakke konstant hou soos lae-GI voedsel. Hoender en groente is ook ’n goeie plaasvervanger vir ongesonde, olierige kosse. Buiten gesonde kos, moet jy ook seker maak jy neem genoeg vloeistof in. Vermy suikerdrankies en te veel kaffeine en drink eerder water of kruietee. GOEIE TYDSBESTUUR

Stel vroegtydig ’n studierooster op en probeer jou bes om daarby te hou. Begin deur te bepaal op watter tyd van die dag jy die effektiefste is. Party mense is meer effektief in die aand terwyl ander weer beter leer gedurende die dag. Hou hierdie inligting in gedagte wanneer jy jou rooster uitwerk. Onthou natuurlik om ’n tydjie vir ontspanning in te werk. Dit is nie gesond om vir lang periodes aaneen te leer nie. Volgens die MIT Center for Academic Excellence moet jy elke 50 minute studietyd afwissel met sowat 10 minute rustyd. Gebruik hierdie tyd om te fokus op iets anders as akademie. KRY GENOEG SLAAP

Vir sommige van ons is slaap tweede natuur terwyl ander se adrenalien die neiging het om in te skop sodra hulle die bedlampie afskakel. Dr Lydia DonCarlos van die Loyola Universiteit in Chicago meen dat jy moet poog om ongeveer sewe ure se slaap elke aand in te kry. Maak dit ’n vaste roetine deur dit in te werk by jou studierooster. Maak ook seker jy begin vroegtydig leer sodat die hoeveelheid werk jou nie onderkry nie en jy genoeg tyd het om te slaap. ’n Goeie nagrus is nodig om die werk wat jy geleer het vas te lê en om jou slaggereed te maak vir die volgende dag se toets. KIES JOU STUDIERUIMTE NOUKEURIG

Elke persoon se studieruimte verskil. Party mense verkies dit om alleen te studeer terwyl ander weer beter presteer indien hulle in ’n raserige omgewing leer. Kies dus ’n ruimte

2 1

I S S U E 1 , 2 01 5

volgens jou eie behoeftes en moenie jou studieroetine verander deur te veel van ruimte te verskuif nie. Universiteite het baie studiefasiliteite soos die biblioteek of studielokale waar jy gedurende die eksamen kan leer. Hierdie fasiliteite is voordelig aangesien daar geen afleidings is nie en jy dus gedwing word om op jou werk te fokus. Dit is ’n goeie opsie vir studente wat in die koshuis bly. Jou kamermaat met sy of haar luidrugtige musieksmaak en vreemde studiepatrone is nie noodwendig die beste ding vir jou besige eksamenrooster nie. Dit is net ’n onnodige afleiding wat ekstra spanning sal veroorsaak. Vind dus eerder uit waar hierdie fasiliteite is en maak gebruik daarvan. BELOON JOUSELF

Daar is min dinge in die lewe wat ’n mens so vinnig aan die werk kry soos die vooruitsig van ’n beloning. Stel doelwitte en beloon jouself as jy dit bereik. Elke persoon se idee van ’n beloning sal verskil, maar maak seker dat dit iets is waarna jy werklik sal uitsien sodat dit genoeg motivering verskaf. Jy kan selfs iets beplan om die eksamen mee af te sluit as ’n beloning vir jou harde werk. PRAAT MET IEMAND

Eksamentyd en eensaamheid is beste vriende. Almal fokus op hul werk en vergeet skoon van hul vriende, familie, goudvis en meeste van al, van jou. Dit is juis in hierdie tyd wat jy iemand nodig het om mee te praat. Daar is min dinge so gerusstellend soos ’n gewillige oor gedurende die eksamentyd. Vind iemand met wie jy gemaklik voel en by wie jy al jou bekommernisse oor die eksamen kan afpak. Dit kan enigiemand wees, van ’n familielid, vriend of God. Jy sal verbaas wees om te sien hoe baie jou stresvlakke daal indien jy iemand daarvan vertel. Die groot geheim om die eksamen ’n suksevolle en selfs genotvolle ervaring te maak, is om balans te vind. Akademie is belangrik, maar dit moet nooit die alfa en omega van jou studentelewe word nie. Deur ewe veel tyd te spandeer aan akademie sowel as jou liggaamlike en geestelike welstand, sal jy vind dat jy die eksamen nie net oorlééf nie, maar dalk selfs geniet ook. NICOLETTE VAN SCHALKWYK studeer tans drama by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch en hoop om na my dramagraad joernalistiek te studeer. Ek beskou God as die anker in my lewe en die Een op wie ek altyd my hoop en vertroue plaas. My grootste wens is om eendag te gaan backpack in Suid-Amerika...

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