Act - Digital Issue 3 - Scope Magazine by Scope Magazine

P R O PAG A N DA

W H AT D O E S I T M E A N T O B E ‘ WO K E’?

SUMMER EDITION 2018

TWENTY FOR TWENTIES

SOUTH AFRICA

NEW YEAR

NEW LOOK

Watch this space for more!

FIRST WORD SOUTH AFRICA

INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO A BIGGER SCOPE OF OUR WORLD TODAY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE GOSPEL. EXECUTIVE TEAM Publishing Director - Jonathan Just Creative Director - Michael Just

General Editor - Mégan Schilder

General Designer - Mark Zion .. Publishing Coordinators - Zoe Ras, Munshya Mupela Finance Manager - Brad Latré

Marketing Manager - Jethro Smith With thanks to the Managing Editors and their regional publishing teams

C O N T R I B U TO R S Main Feature - John-Paul Harper Varsity Pulse - Claire Morrison, Tjar-Lize van der Walt,

Paradigm Shift - Tendai Chitsike Reason - Anonymous Engage - Caitlin Mash, Hanru du Plessis

Resound - Mark Zion Interview - Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu My Story - Minah Koela, Sumeri Tromp

Helpful Hints - Matshepo Madupela

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GREETINGS,

There seems to be three kinds of people going into this new year: the ones who got beat by the wild ride of 2017 and hopes to make a new start; the ones who took 2017 by the horns and refused to let that bull conquer them; and the ones who got knocked down but got back up again (even multiple times). It’s a new year and life seems more real than ever before, but when we stop to assess it all, we realise that we carry great power in our ‘no’ and our ‘yes’. The theme for this edition of Scope Magazine is ‘Act’ - taking a stand where it matters and not just letting life happen to you. We are excited to present content to help you see where to pull in the reigns and where to head straight for the target. You will find articles here from around South Africa, encapsulating moving out of passivity and into peaceable progress.

Actress and anti-human trafficking activist, Jeanne Neilson, shares her passion about helping in the fight to end modern day slavery.

YOU WILL FIND ARTICLES HERE FROM AROUND SOUTH AFRICA, ENCAPSULATING MOVING OUT OF PASSIVITY AND INTO PEACEABLE PROGRESS. Twenty for Twenties has all the tips every twenty-something needs to hear to get on with it, end the excuses, and be amazing. Find this under our Helpful Hints section. No matter how you feel about 2018, we know that life is not without hope. It is our greatest joy to present how this hope is found. W I T H L OV E,

The Main Feature does just that, challenging where we stand in our own stories and how the position we choose to take actually affects the cosmos… crazy, I know. We had the priviledge of featuring American rapper and Hip-Hop artist, Propaganda, who shares the necessity of taking up our individual swords, while fighting the good fight together.

MÉGAN SCHILDER General Editor PREPARING YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, AND BEING SOBER-MINDED, SET YOUR HOPE FULLY ON THE GRACE THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1 PET ER 1:13

2018

Summer Edition

THE DEEPER ISSUE BEHIND #MENARETRASH

PERSPECTIVE 04

MAIN FEATURE

VARSITY PULSE

PARADIGM SHIFT

REASON

ENGAGE

13 27

REVIEWS 21

RESOUND

NEW TUNE

FOR YOUR READING WE REVIEW SOME OF THE BEST LOCAL CHRISTIAN HIP-HOP

TESTIFY 31

INTERVIEW

MY STORY

SIMUNYE 39

PLUGGED IN

S AV V Y S T U D E N T 40

EXPRESSIONS

HELPFUL HINTS

41 THE INSPIRING STORY OF MINAH KOELA POEM: UNFATHOMABLE

PERSPECTIVE

MAIN FEATURE

PARTICIPATING IN THE

COSMIC DRAMA By John-Paul Harper

e’ve all grown up with stories. Stories are one of the most fundamental ways in which we understand the world, ourselves, and our place in it. Stories shape our values as well our understanding of our value. Stories unfold in acts as well as shape the way we act. We all have our own personal stories of where we’ve come from and where we’d like to go, but we also recognise these as embedded in the larger story of where everything has come from and where it’s all going. There are two stories in particular that have captivated the imagination of the Western world over the last few centuries. The first sees the world ultimately as a product of impersonal forces—of matter, motion, time and chance. It’s a world that comes from nowhere and is going nowhere and in which death is the end of personal existence. Shakespeare’s Macbeth expresses this story well when lamenting the death of his wife Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

MAIN FEATURE

In this world there’s a stage, but no wise author coordinating the drama. In this world there might be subjective self-created meaning (e.g. “to be a good person”), but there is no objective meaning that death cannot take away. The second story sees the world as the product of a personal and purposeful Creator who continues to be actively engaged in his world. In this view, as John Calvin put it long ago, The whole world is a theatre for the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power. Here human beings have a meaningful part to play in a grand drama that is unfolding on the stage of human history and of which the God revealed in the Bible is the ultimate wise Author. At every moment human beings are either displaying the divine goodness and justice or turning away from it. A strong case can be made that the former story is ultimately less rational, durable and powerful for motivating good than the latter, but the sad reality is that many who claim to believe the latter often seem inadequately shaped by it. In this article we will briefly articulate this grand story in four key acts as a basic framework to guide wise and meaningful action in the world.

THIS IS THE COSMIC DRAMA IN WHICH WE ALL PARTICIPATE AND IN WHICH OUR CHOICES LEAD US EITHER TO BECOME MORE OUTWARD FOCUSSED, LIKE OUR AUTHOR, OR MORE INWARD FOCUSSED ON OURSELVES. 05 SUMMER EDITION 2018

The first act opens with a personal God speaking a glorious and good cosmos into existence out of nothing. At the pinnacle of His creation are human beings who are created in His ‘image’ with the honour of knowing Him and ruling over His world. We also discover in God’s deliberative words, “let us make humankind in our image” that He is relational in Himself. As the story unfolds, we discover that He is in fact a beingin-community—a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To be a wise actor in this

INSTEAD OF CHOOSING TO LIVE BY OUR AUTHOR’S GOOD WORD, WE EACH CHOSE INSTEAD TO BECOME THE AUTHORS OF OUR OWN STORY AND TO DEFINE GOOD AND EVIL APART FROM HIM. drama means firstly to know and stand in awe of this God who is the Author of our existence. It means, secondly, that we will pursue the relationship and community for which we were made and will treat with incredible dignity and honour each and every human being bearing His image. Thirdly, being wise means listening to the word of God and living in line with His wise design. Finally, it means valuing all human work as a way of developing and ordering God’s world for the purpose of human flourishing. The second act tells what has gone wrong in the story. Instead of choosing to live by our Author’s good word, we each chose instead to become the authors of our own story and to define good and evil apart from Him. This act of autonomy led to broken relationships at every level—with God, with each other, and with the created order. In relation to God we experience this as guilt and shame and a sense of His absence; in relation to each other as inter-personal conflict, alienation, and social injustice; in relation to the world as toil in our work, exploitation of the environment, and ultimately the disintegration of our bodies in death. To be a wise actor in relation to this act means firstly to recognize the death-dealing forces that have been unleashed in the world as each person or group seeks to be at the centre of the story. It means, secondly, that we will be humbled out of our self-righteous attempts to identify the problem with the

world as something outside ourselves. The incredible surprise of the third act is that the Author himself stepped into His own story to set it right. In Jesus Christ we meet the Author of our existence and in His miracles we see Him rewriting the story to give us a glimpse of its final ending. Sickness is healed, outcasts are welcomed back, evil is driven out and death is defeated. He does not, however, erase the effects of evil simply by an act of His will. He finally takes upon himself all the consequences of our evil and experiences at our hands the lowest depths of injustice, cruelty and shame. Whereas we sought to take God’s place and brought death into the world, God chose to take our place in order to bring life to the world. To act wisely in relation to this act means above all being overwhelmed by God’s humble and self-giving love in Jesus and as a result acting in costly and self-sacrificial love for others— even those we consider enemies. The fourth and final act is the return of the King to complete the conquest of evil He started. The final act is guaranteed by Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead and will be nothing less than the renewal of the whole cosmos. To act wisely in relation to this is to orient all of our action towards this future, pursuing reconciliation and justice and healing as far as possible now. It means that the church will embody this coming reign of justice and peace as a foretaste and anticipation of the restoration of all things. This is the cosmic drama in which we all participate and in which our choices lead us either to become more outward focussed, like our Author, or more inward focussed on ourselves. St Augustine famously argued in The City of God that all human history is characterized by two ‘cities’; the City of God based on the love of God and love of neighbour, and the City of Man based on self-love. He argued that our everyday actions arise out of and reinforce our citizenship in one of these two cities. Which city we belong to and which story we act out of continues to confront us today.

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PERSPECTIVE

VARSITY PULSE

By Claire Morrison | Cape Town

lthough a gramatically-incorrect version of the word ‘awake’, to ‘stay woke’ is a phrase that was first associated with the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, but has since accompanied general calls against injustice. On the UCT campus, being ‘woke’ is understood as being aware of social injustices…if you’re not up to date with the latest justice trend, (#FeesMustFall, #ZumaMustFall, #MenAreTrash, #YesAllWomen) you must, obviously, have been asleep. That the ‘born free’ generation at UCT is concerned with justice does not surprise me. Ours is a generation that that has seen new and fiery advocacy for justice on all fronts. The events on our campus alone can attest to this - we are woke as anything. With the understanding of what it means to be woke and socially aware, however, comes a hint of cynicism - being aware of all the current societal wrongs does not necessarily mean that we’re doing anything about it. One UCT student put it this

way, “Being ‘woke’ is just an understanding of social inequality and social justice. It doesn’t entail actually doing anything about It, though.” We millennials are very concerned with justice, but there is an element of superficiality to it. We can be very quick to publicly condemn injustice, but privately, we are passive. I will be the first to point out how many protests I’ve been to – there are an embarrassing amount of protest selfies that I’m all too eager to whip out if anyone ever doubts my being woke – but my outraged comments against, for example, institutional racism, publicly do very little to confront the effects of racism that I see all around me. The countless statuses and hashtags cost me conveniently little to post, but contribute little (if anything) towards effecting tangible change. To be woke can thus be reduced to a perceived sense of moral superiority that one finds from being superficially socially active; without any action. Is it sufficient to say the right things and be outraged at injustices in front of people who would be impressed by our social awareness?

We millennials are very concerned with justice, but there is an element of superficiality to it. 07 SUMMER EDITION 2018

IS BEING WOKE GOOD ENOUGH? It is easy to despair when looking at the injustice and rottenness in the world, and it is harder still to accept that our efforts to confront these issues are just not enough. But we are not without hope. Closing our eyes to what is wrong in our world is a denial of the truth. So to be aware of injustices – to be woke - is a good first step. The next step is taken when we follow the thirst for justice into humankind’s very makeup. The fact that we are made in the image of God means that we are given an inherent moral compass. Thus, the hunger for justice is, inherently, a God-given hunger. The voice that echoes in our inner-most core that something is not right in our world, is of God. Logically, where there is hunger there is food. In our case, where there is a hunger for justice, there is the bread of life in the form of Jesus, who rights all wrongs. The external, superficial fight for justice is met with a deeper, more personal form of justice in Jesus Christ, who died so that all injustice will be ended. Should that comfort prevent us from fighting injustice? On the contrary! Knowing that goodness has won and that all pain and sadness will one day be gone should spur us on to fight the good fight. To take our words and turn them into action. To turn our responsiveness into proactivity. In short, understanding the world’s God-given destiny should take our being woke into a state of awakening; awakening to His plan - and our role in it - to bring justice and truth into our world.

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VARSITY PULSE

By Tjar-Lize van der Walt | Pretoria

n the University of Pretoria Hatfield campus, I approached students randomly asking them what they as millennials think the term ‘woke’ means. The first student who was willing to talk, Rikus, had a straight forward response, where, according to him, it means being aware of what’s happening around you and experiencing everything. For some reason I thought that would be the general feeling, but was pleasantly surprised when speaking to Andre who had an entirely different answer. He said that to be ‘woke’ as a millennial is to be computer literate and to actively engage in technology. He mentioned how the 21st century is moving evermore towards a technological society. Other answers included “to be enlightened, to wake up to reality”, “being awake”, or “to wake someone”. Another student I spoke to, Damien, said it’s when one has “an academic awakening.”

A bubbly group of four girls made my day; they told me that they were discussing the same topic earlier that morning. The overall feeling from the group was that being ‘woke’ means keeping up with not just the latest trends but also with what is happening in today’s society. They emphasized the importance of millennials knowing what’s going on in politics, culture and religion. One of the girls from the group also stated that the term comes from America with all the politics and protests going on over there. What fascinated me was when another from the group added that it meant working hard and keeping up with how fast things are moving in the 21st century. She said something very sad, yet true for many students: “For us, millennial life is a competition and you need to stay ahead of the curve and better yourself constantly” – similar to Andre’s answer about staying up

According to the Urban Dictionary, being ‘woke’ is a state of perceived intellectual superiority one gains by reading and staying up to date. 09 SUMMER EDITION 2018

to date with the fast-moving technological race we are in. If I look at all the reactions I got on campus, it’s clear that my generation is all about staying up to date, knowing what is going on around them and focusing on improving themselves. According to the Urban Dictionary, being ‘woke’ is a state of perceived intellectual superiority one gains by reading and staying up to date. The best way I would describe it is like how it must be in the Matrix after taking the red pill. You get a sudden understanding of what’s really going on and find out you were wrong about much of what you understood to be truth. But is there more to this millennial slang term? In a biblical sense, being ‘woke’ can mean to be aware that there is a time and place for everything, as we see in Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Taking this text into consideration, being ‘woke’ means that one should be aware that God is in control of time and we don’t need to be anxious about our pace, because He has set eternity in all our hearts and we can therefore appreciate life in the moment. Perhaps it means to stop rushing through this life without God where you eventually get to the end and find you have nothing. Knowing this truth now rather than later is what I think it truly means to be ‘woke’. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

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VARSITY PULSE

By Destiney Reed | Stellenbosch

n today’s urban culture no one says what they mean anymore. As millennials, we find ways to spice up otherwise boring sentences with colourful words that, if used correctly, would render the sentence meaningless. Phrases like “That was lit fam.” and “Yas girl, slay!” only leaves our generation X predecessors dazed and confused. While some slang terms are a result of momentary drunken wit, others do however have deeper roots. The term ‘woke’, for instance, originated in the 1960’s already, but became more popular during the 2014 Black Lives Matter movement. It unfortunately created negative racist connotations to the word. After talking to multiple

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students on the Stellenbosch campus, it became clear that most of them have a rather insufficient understanding of what it means to be ‘woke’. Some took time guessing the correct meaning but ultimately failing, while others shamelessly admitted that they have no idea what the term means. Those who dared to define it, used words such as ‘awareness’ and ‘consciousness’, to verbalize their thoughts. One student in particular defined it as ‘being aware of life happening around you and being present in all aspects of it: cognitively, spiritually, and physically.’ A third year BA-student added the following: “It means to be aware of what is going on around me

We tend to look past the fact that so many things that are wrong in the world, and in life, are physical manifestations of a deeper spiritual problem. especially as a woman of colour. I stand for a lot of things and I also stand against a lot of things, certain social issues which infringe upon my rights as well as my values/ beliefs. Hence to be ‘woke’ is being aware of those things, especially when you’re against them. From an engineer’s point of view: “Purists and libertarians. In South African it means we hate white people, white supremacy secretly in the shadows and we promote white guilt. However, the true meaning is: living life with your eyes open. You don’t always have to act, sometimes, just think. There is a place for intervening, but there are wars that we were not made to fight yet, those wars are coming.” Cognitively and physically ‘being aware’ refers to social, political and economic structures. So many millennials live in their ‘here and now’ bubble. Walls are built around their small worlds and anything that happens outside of those walls is of no importance. Things like suicide, rape and mental illnesses are only relevant when they are affected by it. They forget that in the real world these things occur on a daily basis and a lack

of awareness leads to ignorance. Addiction to prescribed medication because of teenage depression. Young people voting for the first time, but not having the faintest idea of why they are voting for a certain political party. People following trends, committing to things and labelling themselves without realizing what the implications may be. The most common display of this phenomenon occurs when the topic of feminism is discussed. As Christians we tend to look past the fact that so many things that are wrong in the world, and in life, are physical manifestations of spiritual disturbance. It is true that many people all over the world live in oppressed circumstances. But these circumstances only increase fear in people’s hearts and in turn strengthen the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world. But we also know that Jesus Christ already defeated the evil one and has given us God’s armour so we will be able to resist the enemy in times of trouble. The first being the belt of truth, but it is only once we become aware of what is going on that we can start addressing it.

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PERSPECTIVE

PARADIGM SHIFT

By Tendai Chitsike

ince the high-profile reports of the murder and abuse of women and children, hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear about the most shocking acts of violence and abuse. Recently the Minister of Social Development brought out a startling statistic: that one in three children have suffered domestic abuse. While I wonder how we can verify the veracity of such a claim, the point is that we have a crisis of colossal proportion.

What I discovered was that many cases of abuse come from someone within the family, often the breadwinner. Often, whatever the result in court, the child would either lose a breadwinner or remain with a repeated abuser within their midst. After hearing from students at a lunchtime group that I run, at least a few female students shared how this pattern of abuse within their families was nothing new, and had been the case for some time.

My first-hand experience of this came in law school. For my research paper, I looked at the difficulty of abused children presenting evidence in a court of law. What I discovered was heart-breaking and gave extra resonance to the statement of Jesus in Matthew 18:6 — If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Within this milieu, social media was abuzz with the hashtag #menaretrash, where women and some men vented their anger and revulsion for these and many other cases of abuse, most of which are too numerous to make media headlines. And in the face of such widespread abuse, and the resultant attitude towards men expressed in #menaretrash, it leads us to ask: where shall we turn? Where should we look to light the way out of our malaise? Are men essentially trash? Where

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Thankfully, I have come recently come across a most helpful resource. Though I have just started reading Nurturing the Nations by Darrow Miller with Stan Guthrie, I have found it rich in biblical truth and compassion, helpfully unpacking the truth and lies that worldviews bring to this pressing issue. If I could summarise the book so far in a nutshell, it would be the following: that every worldview outside of Christ brings a fundamental lie about women: either that women are inherently inferior to men, or that men and women are not inherently different. Miller writes that the first lie, founded on chauvinism, “leads to the crushing of women”, while the second lie, founded on egalitarianism, “leads to the disappearance of women”. The first lie is predominant in conservative and traditional cultures, while the second lie is predominant in progressive and postmodern cultures. The early church became a bastion of hope for women and declared the radical truth that they are equal in value even while recognising inherent differences to men. Nevertheless, as Miller writes, “the church, sadly has not always heeded Christ in its treatment of women”. That being the case, we ought to repent of this while returning to the only source of lifegiving truth — Christ and His Word. Where does that leave us? We are currently caught in the cross-currents of chauvinism and politically-correct egalitarianism, of the dominance over women and the disappearance of women. We would do well to see, through the biblical lens, that neither of these ideas bring value, dignity and worth to women. The same applies to men and manhood. As renowned missionary

WE ARE CURRENTLY CAUGHT IN THE CROSSCURRENTS OF CHAUVINISM AND POLITICALLY-CORRECT EGALITARIANISM, OF THE DOMINANCE OVER WOMEN AND THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WOMEN.

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should we look to restore the dignity, worth and value of women and children?

Elisabeth Elliot notes: “Words like manhood and masculinity have been expunged from our vocabulary, and we have been told in no uncertain terms that we ought to forget about such things, which amount to nothing more than biology, and concentrate on what it means to be ‘persons’.”

With all the tenderness I can muster, let me therefore say this: In the midst of the abuse of women and children, we thus not only need a stand against violence; we also need a resurgence of godly, biblical, unashamed manhood and womanhood. Practically, this translates into men seeing women as Christ’s fellow image-bearers, worthy of respect and no longer dominating women, but also men finding their worth and dignity as men. Both aspects are consistent with godly masculinity, and as men’s movement leader Ed Cole declared: “Christlikeness and masculinity are synonymous.” How then should we regard #menaretrash?

Like everything else, the bible is instructive and the only reliable compass for ultimate truth. Ecclesiastes 7:29 speaks powerfully into men are trash, declaring: See, I have found only this, that God made men right, but they have found many sinful ways. God made men (and women) right, but men (and women) have found many sinful ways. To put it differently, the bible declares that men are not trash; they, like women, are made in God’s image. However, men (and women), do trash, and their solution is not in disappearing or rejecting masculinity, but in repentance and returning to the source: God himself. As we take a stand against violence of women and children, may we look solely to the God who upholds the inherent value and differences of male and female, bringing men and women to His lordship and saving grace as our only hope. Neither chauvinism nor egalitarian-inspired androgyny will liberate. As William Law wisely declared: “If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” May we strive to see both the end of abuse and the simultaneous flourishing of godly manhood and womanhood.

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PERSPECTIVE

REASON

FAITH, BELIEF & UMBRELLAS By Anonymous

I start, it might be important for you to know that I identify as a Christian, and I am in the process of interrogating themes that fall under this identity marker. I am met with a moment of silence and a knowing stare from my academic peers and supervisors; as if they have just accessed a window into the future and can probably anticipate the outcome. It’s an empty gaze that focuses blankly on me for a moment and then blinks twice while they frame this all-toofamiliar scene in their minds. It is the scene of a Christian who looks deeper into Christianity and inevitably loses their faith.

My mom had a similar lack of encouragement in her reaction to the topic of this discussion, perhaps flavoured slightly differently. When I mentioned to her what I wanted to do in my studies, her look told me to run. It was one that said religion was not something to be messed with. To poke at it would anger and offend people. The tension in my mother’s voice was the same tension in that classroom of academics. While my mom was worried about the ‘inevitability’ of me offending others, my classmates and supervisors pitied me for the ‘inevitability’ of offending myself.

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My mom; a life-long Catholic, and my classmates and supervisors; secular intellectuals, are in the same boat. Both groups believed that Christianity and Christians could not handle the weight of critical thought. This is exactly what I intend to do; consider my own non-denominational Christian cultural framework against the post-modernist, new age, Eastern mysticist, ancestral belief system – the believer and non-believer. I ponder on the believer. What does ‘belief’ actually mean? A quick Google search will show that ‘belief’ is described as “an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof”. I think many get stuck in the “especially one without proof” part. This is typically the entry point into which the idea of critical thinking comes like a dagger. How can something be critically discussed without evidence? Without substantiation? Without a foundation to ground the argument? In these types of engagements, the idea of belief typically floats above a Christian’s head until it falls, by virtue of not having anything strong enough to hold it up. When some Christians are pushed they’ll use ‘faith’ as an answer: “Why do you believe this is true?”

“Because I have faith that it is.” Although some may find this answer completely satisfactory, for others it might be deemed as a circular argument. If the definition of faith according to Google is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”, it does not do much to provide justification to believe. Is this to say that faith in and of itself is not enough to justify a belief in the Christian God? I propose a deeper understanding of ‘faith’ and ‘belief’. Theologian, philosopher and Christian apologist Dr. Richard Howe defined faith as “the act of one’s will in accordance with what it knows to be true.” Here faith is not looked at as something to be possessed but something to be acted out. To exemplify this, one can ‘believe’ that it is going to rain and illustrate their ‘faith’ in this by bringing an umbrella along to their outing. The ‘faith’ here points to evidence which proves that one does believe, but it does not justify the belief itself. If one said that they believe it’s going to rain because that’s what the weather forecast said, one would typically consider it a satisfactory justification, as public weather forecasts are largely considered trustworthy sources. Thus ‘to believe’ can be considered more synonymous with ‘to trust’, which does not necessarily require tangible

evidence but is based on a sense of reliability that can be reasoned for (there are good reasons to trust the public weather forecast). To say I believe because I have faith, according to the mentioned Google definitions, would be to say I know it’s going to rain because I brought an umbrella. If we apply these revised understandings of ‘belief’ and ‘faith’, one could say that people believe the Christian narrative of life and so out of faith act in accordance with the Christian mandate. Why do they believe? Because of a source that is trustworthy. This opens up multiple possibilities of trustworthy sources; be it the Bible, a revelation, or alternatively an avenue that winds up empty i.e. I brought an umbrella but I’m not sure why. These understandings of belief and faith do more to help one consider Christianity in the form of evidence, argument and reasoning, and, in turn, might reveal why the Google definition would avoid it. Reason and critical analysis of one’s beliefs will either strengthen a solid faith, or pull the rug from under a shaky one. I’m inclined to assume that my mother, my classmates and my supervisors might be more familiar with the later type of faith and have seen the rug pulled out from under people who don’t know why they carry umbrellas. I have faith that that will not be me.

REASON AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ONE’S BELIEFS WILL EITHER STRENGTHEN A SOLID FAITH, OR PULL THE RUG FROM UNDER A SHAKY ONE.

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PERSPECTIVE

ENGAGE

REAL CHRISTIAN

STAND UP? By Caitlin Mash

he story is told of a zoo that was known for their great collection of different animals. One day the gorilla died, and to keep up the appearance of a full range of animals, the zookeeper hired a man to wear a gorilla suit and fill in for the dead animal. It was his first day on the job, and the man didn’t know how to act like a gorilla very well. As he tried to move convincingly, he got too close to the wall of the enclosure and tripped and fell into the lion exhibit. He began to scream, convinced his life was over…until the lion spoke to him: “Be quiet, or you’re going to get us both fired!” The Church is one of the most beautiful expressions of God’s love, grace and power and can be one of the strongest advocates for the gospel, but it can also be one of its weakest links. Think of the people in your lives who don’t believe in Jesus, or maybe you yourself are having trouble finding credibility in the gospel story. Why is that? Is it because you have experienced time and time again that people who profess Christianity act in

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a way that is completely contrary to the faith they profess? In a country where 80% of our people profess to know Christ, how many times do we actually see Christ-like behaviour instead of just finding people dressing up to act in roles they aren’t really sure how to play in order to keep up appearances? Ask almost anyone, whether in church or not, and they will probably tell you that the church is full of hypocrites. And no one likes hypocrites. Hypocrisy is all around us, and it affronts the deep-seated sense of justice that forms part of the millennial DNA. We see it everywhere – from the politician who builds their campaign on family values and is then found to be having an affair, to the Christian friend who preaches moral righteousness but gets drunk on the weekend, or makes prejudiced comments, or shows no compassion for the poor. All you have to do is pick up a newspaper, or listen to the news on the radio, or listen to a couple of conversations in the cafeteria and you will come across numerous examples of hypocrisy. So why is it a much bigger

deal when it is seen in the church? It is because the church is held to a higher standard. And here we get to the paradox of the church. Believers are sinners who have been introduced to the Saviour. He is perfect. We are not. The message is perfect, the messengers are not. Too often the beautiful good news of Jesus is distorted and perverted by the messengers. But does that discredit the message? As flawed, sinful humans, at some point we are going to mess up the message of Jesus we are showing the people in our spheres of influence. How then do we let the real message of Jesus stand up in spite of ourselves? Firstly, Christians need to recognise that they are all guilty of hypocrisy. When someone tells you the church is full of hypocrites, agree with them. The Bible teaches that we are all hypocritical sinners and the existence of hypocrisy in the church, and out of it, is just proving the truth of Jesus’s teachings. In fact, you could probably even sassily suggest that nonChristians would probably fit in quite well at church. Christians also need to know what Jesus thinks about hypocrisy. He hates it. If you look in the scriptures, He would often call people out on their

AS FLAWED, SINFUL HUMANS, AT SOME POINT WE ARE GOING TO MESS UP THE MESSAGE OF JESUS WE ARE SHOWING THE PEOPLE IN OUR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE.

hypocrisy bluntly and directly. Jesus doesn’t want us to honour Him with our lips, but have our hearts far from Him. He wants our hearts. And to get our hearts – while they were still far from Him, while they were still faking it, while they were still dressed up in a costume – Christ died for us. He died to set us free from sin. All sin – hypocrisy included. In this freedom from sin, Christ gives us the freedom to be real. There is no need to pretend to be better than we are. We don’t need to talk up our goodness or our righteousness when we know what the Bible says about our sin, that God knows us fully, and that we are fully accepted by Him. We are free to be real – in all our beautiful messiness. If someone is prepared to discount Jesus because some of His followers are hypocrites, surely the same person would be prepared to consider Christ if they saw the reality of His forgiveness and love even in their brokenness? Christianity does not stand or fall on the way Christians behave. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus. And Jesus was not a hypocrite. He lived completely in line with what He taught, and after His three years of ministry He even challenged His disciples to find any hypocrisy in Him and they found none. It would be incorrect to try and discount Christ based on the actions of His followers. I pray I won’t discredit my God by refusing to see the hypocrisy in me. I pray my life expresses the reality of the beautiful saving grace of Jesus. That while I know I won’t always get it right, may this reality be all the more evident.

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ENGAGE

By Hanru du Plessis

Hierdie is natuurlik nie ’n maklike onderwerp om oor te skryf nie, maar om dit te ignoreer is dalk ook nie ’n goeie opsie nie. Dit is ’n relevante, maar tog kontroversiële tema. ’n Bekende gesegde lui as volg: “daar is drie goed wat jy nie in ‘n beskaafde gesprek wil opbring nie: politiek, geld, en geloof!” Geloof is deel van ons privaatheid. Dit skep en vorm ons identiteit. Indien iemand jou verbied om in die openbaar te bid, gaan jy relatief onsteld wees. Die rede hiervoor is heel moontlik dat iemand uitdruklik iets van jou menswees of menswaardigheid verwerp het. In die Nuwe Testament sien ons selfs dat gelowiges gesterf het vir hulle geloof. Geloof is dus iets wat na aan die hart lê. Vryheid van Geloof word wel beskerm in artikel 15 van die Grondwet. Artikel 15(1) lui dat elkeen die reg het tot vryheid van geloof. Dit is dus moontlik om jou geloof uit te oefen, waar en hoe jy wil. Suid-Afrika is ’n diverse nasie met baie verskillende gelowe. Elke persoon, met sy eie geloof, is geregtig om dit uit te oefen hoe en waar hy wil. Dit bring ooglopende moeilikhede. Indien een geloof uitgesonder word, word ’n ander geloof te na gekom? Indien een geloof

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bevorder word, skep dit ’n gunstige atmosfeer vir ’n ander geloof om uitgeoefen te word? In terme van artikel 15(2) sê die Grondwet dat geloof uitgeoefen kan word in staatsinstellings en staatsondersteunende-instellings met die verstandhouding dat dié instellings se reëls nagekom word, dat dit op ’n billike grondslag sal geskied, en dat bywoning daarvan vrylik en vrywillig is.

OM DIE MEESTE UITDAGINGS TE OORKOM MOET ONS OOR EEN BELANGRIKE VAARDIGHEID BESKIK: DIE VERMOË OM TE PRIORITISEER.

’n Mens kan vele uitlegte gee van wat “vrylik en vrywillig” beteken, want dit is duidelik dat verskeie uitdruklike en stilswyende faktore die legitimiteit van iemand se toestemming tot iets kan afwater. ’n Voorbeeld van die uitsluitlike gebruik van een geloof, was in die sogenaamde Ogod-saak. Hier is veral Afrikaanse skole hof toe gesleep omdat hulle byvoorbeeld ’n Christenlike etos gehad het, wat duidelik neerkom op die uitsluitlike gebruik van een geloof.* As Christen, wil ’n mens graag sien hoe ander gered word. Of jy wil net die Evangelie aan almal verkondig. Jesus sê self dat Hy die Weg en die Waarheid is.** Juis om hierdie redes is dit wonderlik om te sien dat Christenskap, oftewel geloof, steeds in skole uitgeoefen word en dat daar steeds uit die Bybel gelees word. Indien daar ’n uitspraak soos dié in die Ogod-saak kom, dan raak mens bietjie ongemaklik, maar ’n mens moet dalk die idee uitskakel dat jou eie geloof beperk word indien jy spasie vir ’n ander geloof maak. Dit is belangrik om in hierdie konteks, nie bedreig te voel nie.

af te dwing of is ons besig om dit te verkondig? ’n Mens wil nie net ’n storie in mense se keel afdruk nie, jy wil hê dat dit wortel skiet en lewendig raak. Die kwessie ontstaan dus of die verspreiding van Christenskap opregte vrugte van liefde vir Jesus sal dra as dit uitsluitlik gebruik word. In my opinie het ons Grondwet ’n geneigdheid om diversiteit te omhels óf om vorme daarvan te verwyder. Óf ’n platform word geskep vir alle gelowe om te floreer, óf geen geloof word regtig bevorder in die publieke sfeer nie omdat nie een gelyk hanteer kan word nie. Ons moet so ver as moontlik diversiteit kies en omhels. Die punt wat ek wil maak, is dít: in plaas daarvan om diversiteit te ignoreer omdat ons bang is om op mekaar se tone te trap, moet ons dit eerder omhels en verdraagsaam wees teenoor mekaar. Dit is duidelik dat geloof nie uitsluitlik gebruik moet word nie, maar dit beteken dat jy as Christen steeds vrylik jou geloof kan uitoefen, net soos enige ander geloof vrylik uitgeoefen kan word. Christene, het net soos enige ander geloof, ook ’n verpligting om verdraagsaamheid te ontwikkel.

Om ’n praktiese voorbeeld te gebruik van iets wat op die Stellenbosch-kampus gebeur het: Die HK in my koshuis het, met betrekking tot geloof, ’n platform geskep vir individue om self projekte wat met geloof verband hou in te stel. Op hierdie manier word een geloof nie bevoordeel bo ’n ander nie. Individue van alle gelowe kry ’n gelyke kans om hul geloof te beoefen en te bevorder, mits hulle dit self inisieer. Die HK bly neutraal aangesien hulle dit slegs fasiliteer. Is dit ooit goed om Christenskap uitsluitlik te gebruik? Die gebruik en toepassing van Christenskap moet dalk liefde as verwysingspunt gebruik – is ons besig om Christenskap op ander

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RESOUND

PROPAGANDA

REVIEWS

MARK ZION HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CATCHING UP WITH AMERICAN SPOKEN WORD AND HIP HOP ARTIST.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CHRISTIAN SPIES

here’s nothing crooked about Propaganda. He is as straightup as they come. More than just a gifted spoken word/hip hop artist, he is a master poet who paints pictures with his words and stirs his listeners to action.

A few months ago I had the edifying opportunity to sit down with the Los Angeles-native while on his muchanticipated 2017 tour. What I was most amped to explore was Mr. Prop’s fifth solo album, Crooked, released on 30 June 2017. The first track, Crooked Ways, featuring Terence F. Clark, is like watching a six minute preview of a movie that evolves into a looping series of past and present realities regarding racial issues worldwide. This is a true story uncovering lies, deception and misconception with the end notes of the song telling us that this knowledge is not to be missed if we want to build a different frame of reference for the future of humanity. “We stay perplexed at the truth that defies logic / But who say that logic the best way to understand it?” It’s Complicated - the second track on the album - simplifies the definitions of who we are, whose we are, and who we the think we ought to become. The thought-provoking lyrical content enlightens us with beautiful highlights of our actual identity. Prop boldly raps: “You are the complete and perfect works of a perfect and eternal poet laureate”. This reveals the difference between our Creator’s perfect intentions versus our own imperfect self-perception. It is one of the tracks one should listen to while standing in the mirror reflecting on

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RESOUND

“I DON’T TAKE TOO KINDLY TO BEING LIED TO / I COULD LOOK INSIDE YOU / AND I’LL HATE YOU IF I FEAR YOU / AND WE FEAR WHAT WE’RE BLIND TO 23 SUMMER EDITION 2018

God’s vision of image, knowing that He has a good eye for these things.

background. You can hear the depth of his heart beating boldly from start to finish.

Third on the list is Bear With Me featuring Marz Ferrer. One of the lines that really struck a chord is “love is not love if it’s never been tested”. During our interview, Prop chuckled when asked to elaborate on this phrase. He explained that putting love to the test will yield a different result every time. “I had no idea what I was talking about,” he says. “You don’t realise the depths of your selfishness”. The outcome will always surprise our premeditated thoughts as it plays out in real life with the inevitable ups and downs.

Do Know Wrong, sixth on the project, features the epitome of macho expression on the hook. The entire body of the track provides a scope into the multiple experiences Propaganda associates with the environment he calls home. It unlocks a code of conduct or criteria natives and tourists often measure the community he hails from. “It’s illogical, them cold streets got no chill / Can’t explain it, you gotta be built for it.” Prop shares this love-hate story from a loyal L.A. local’s point of view. “L.A. got me making excuses for her / Yeah, she got issues but you don’t know what been through.”

The hardcore collaboration with Aaron Marsh and Sho Baraka in the haunting fourth track titled Cynical alludes to the (un)intentional sinister motives of contradictory characters we may all relate to in one way or another. It also emphasises how disbelief in real change will cause an unending domino effect for society at large. It’s a wake-up call to genuinely practice what we preach and to raise the volume of our actions towards pure intention. “I don’t take too kindly to being lied to / I could look inside you / And I’ll hate you if I fear you / And we fear what we’re blind to / So if I sound cynical / It’s cause I’m cynical”. Passion simmers well within Propaganda’s overflowing well of creativity, especially in the meaty fifth track, Slow Cook. It tells a story that will have you feast on a full plate of rich virtues and unforgettable tales, tattling a weight of experience in casual yet intricate ways. It allows one to really behold and understand what was seen and heard throughout Prop’s Hip-Hop

Gentrify (track 7), I Hate Cats (track 8) and Darkie featuring Jackie Hill-Perry and Micah Bournes (track 9) all have different societal preferences in common. All three tracks raise topics such as racial war, discrimination and inferiority. As I was mulling over Darkie, I asked Propaganda about the words “dark skin, nappy head, always being ugly” in the intro. He spoke about the world’s ideals of beauty and how it gets into the heart and psyche of individuals who feel they’re not beautiful because they don’t see their features on Billboard or Top 10 ’most beautiful’ lists; especially individuals or “communities of colour”. “Some people still blind, hating on they own kind” in the hook of Darkie reminded me that I’ve always been troubled by the notion of black or coloured people hating on their own kind. Here, Propaganda touches on imperialism, colonialism and tribalism. He says that we will always have oppressive actions toward each other until we realise that regardless

SCOPEMAGAZINE.CO.ZA 24

RESOUND

PROP MOTIVATES US TO TAKE EACH OTHER BY THE HAND AS WE EACH DO OUR PART IN RAISING OUR SWORDS IN THE GOOD FIGHT. 25 SUMMER EDITION 2018

of skin colour, we are all fundamentally image-bearers of one God. It’s Not Working (The Truth) featuring Courtney Orlando (track 10,) and Andrew Mandela featuring Topknot Feather (track 11) takes a political look at iconic leaders in the vintage of those who fought for justice most of us still long for today. It yearns for the truth and salvation that came as a result of the struggles they had to endure. In Andrew Mandela, the lines “and we’ll never leave the past if we keep leaving out the facts / so you can pick what side you’re on” stirs the pot. It raises the goose-bump question if we are also willing to rise up in the same vein as history-making changemakers of old. Next is the energising track titled Olympian, featuring Xavier Omär on the chorus. It’s a persistent reminder that when we’re motivated to hold on when it gets tough, it’s not just for temporary relief, but it is us clinging to an eternal hope. Our bodies and our flesh are but a suit for us to move in as we motion through pain and victory on earth. Thus our soul and spirit rely on our physical body to exercise our capabilities in the flesh. This may cause our bones to break, but our spirits will grow stronger. “Your bones’ll give up but you better not though / you are more than your bones, if you don’t know that, get hip”.

of choosing to live out the full potential of walking in true love, kindness and purity – what Paul meant when he said “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Track 14, ICPTSD, is a bonus feature on this masterpiece. The title is a mouthful acronym for ‘Inner City Present Traumatic Stress Disorder’; a depiction of the stress and trauma experienced by those living in the inner city. “Monopoly’s a corporate greed and got the nerve to call us thieves / yeah we’re not so different / who are you to judge us? / You don’t live among us.” When asked if his self-expressive style can cause this generation to see the urgency of rising up, Propaganda used the example of Nelson Mandela making a difference on behalf of millions of people in South Africa. “I (Propaganda) am not going to change the world… but that doesn’t mean that if I don’t live at that (present) time, I won’t pick up my sword and fight (for change).” Instead of trying to save the world as one individual, Prop motivates us to take each other by the hand as we each do our part in raising our swords in the good fight.

Made Straight featuring Audrey Assad (track 13) really moves us on a narrow road with a wider eye towards God. It sets the record straight; there is a positive opposite to the crooked lifestyle of the world. “Resurrection shows that this land is not our home / with the knowledge that we have yet to see the fullness of what it got us.” It pushes the endless possibility

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REVIEWS

NEW TUNE

LOCKED IN SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL CHRISTIAN HIP HOP

LOOK AT GOD THE KINGSMEN BY MARVIN KIMANI

The Look at God EP by the Kingsmen is the debut project by Living Legacy Movement artists, AV, Gruth and Lux Kent. The EP has everything from hot fire raps, head bobbing bangers, to worship ballads. Apart from ‘Look at God’ which is the title track, songs like ‘Not What I Do’ and ‘Ubomi Bam’ are definite favourites. One only needs to listen to this EP once to hear these boys are serious about excellence.

CONCRETE THOUGHTS

TRANSPARENT

VICTOR-J

C O U R T N E Y A N T I PA S

BY MUFUDZI CHIKWETE

BY MILO APRIL

Victor-J, an Indie Hip-Hop artist based in Cape Town, recently graced us with his new album called Concrete Thoughts. He essentially lays down the foundation blocks in the story of Victor-J, which include wisdom, truth and perseverance. Songs such as Concrete, Inevitable, Strong and Let Me Work explore the deeper shades of fighting for success and purpose in a world where the economic turmoil puts shackles on the feet of dreamers who want to fly.

Arguably one of the best wordsmiths to come out of Africa, Courtney Antipas delivers his latest offering which is a rare blend of the Gospel and real life issues. In the album he speaks about everything from wanting to retire the mic, to dealing with the miscarriage his wife and him went through. The album clearly lives up to its name. If you are into real and honest music that doesn’t compromise the Gospel then this album is for you.

On the 29th of July 2017, Last Days Fam (LDF) dropped their 3rd studio album entitled Dissent in Midrand, South Africa.

DISSENT L A S T D AY S FA M BY THUTHUKANI NDLOVU

27 SUMMER EDITION 2018

Dissent is made up of 19 tracks, some of my favourites including ‘Balm of Gilead’, ‘Future Glory’, ‘Culture Wars’, ‘Hope’, and ‘Dissent’.

EXILE REPUBLIC B L AQ U E N U B O N BY CITY GATE RECORDINGS

A maverick offering change in music and culture, Blaque Nubon’s latest offering,

‘Exile Republic’ is layered in exquisite colour and content, giving each listener a clear announcement of hope. In just two weeks of its release, Exile Republic managed to hit number one on Google play, speaking volumes for Blaque’s desire to start making waves in the mainstream. We wait to see what’s next from this watchman.

SOUND BITES By Jonathan Just

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER Lecrae

GONE Red

WORTHY Beautiful Eulogy

GENRE: HIP HOP

GENRE: HARD ROCK/METAL

GENRE: HIP HOP

RELEASED: SEPTEMBER 22 2017

RELEASED: OCTOBER 27 2017

RELEASED: OCTOBER 20 2017

STAND-OUT TRACKS: BROKE, WHATCHU MEAN (FT. AHA GAZELLE), FACTS, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL FIND YOU (FT. TORI KELLY)

STAND-OUT TRACKS: STILL ALIVE, GONE, A.I, THE MASK SLIPS AWAY

STAND-OUT TRACKS: DOXOLOGY (FT. LATIFAH ALATTAS), SLAIN, WORTHY

TODAY WE REBEL KB GENRE: HIP HOP RELEASED: OCTOBER 20 2017 STAND-OUT TRACKS: ART OF DRIFTING, NOT TODAY SATAN (FT. ANDY MINEO)

PERCEPTIONS NF GENRE: HIP HOP RELEASED: OCTOBER 06 2017 STAND-OUT TRACKS: OUTCAST, LET YOU DOWN, IF YOU WANT LOVE, REMEMBER THIS

THE ANSWER Jeremy Camp GENRE: ALTERNATIVE ROCK RELEASED: OCTOBER 06 2017 STAND-OUT TRACKS: WORD OF LIFE, MY DEFENDER

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REVIEWS

FOR YOUR READING

Reconciling All Things Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice

oo often in South Africa, we want to put cartoon adhesive bandages on deep historical wounds and tell people to move on, instead of processing the complexity of our racially-divided past. We cry “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). In their powerful and theologically rich book, ‘Reconciling All Things’, Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice share a biblical vision for justice and reconciliation in a world marked by brokenness. Speaking from different backgrounds, they offer a revolutionary global perspective on the journey of reconciliation - a journey that brings together people who would, ordinarily, share little reason grounds for friendship.

As we journey together towards true reconciliation, may we always remember to listen, lament and repent.

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The essence of the book is encapsulated in one particular quote from it, which reads, “The justice of the Lord’s Table, for example, is not simply a punitive or retributive justice but a far more radical form, pursued within a vision of costly communion to bring together what has been torn apart.” These are words that challenge our existing associations and perceptions, and beckon us to grow into our identity as a new people. A people who are passionate about pursuing authentic relationships with people from different racial and economic backgrounds. A people who are constantly at work to see the coming together of different fragments, just as the church in Ephesus. I highly recommend ‘Reconciling All Things’ - it is a short and easy read. I do, however, encourage readers to take their time and process each line of this heart-transforming book. As we journey together towards true reconciliation, may we always remember to listen, lament and repent. May we live and love like Jesus in the difficult, tension-filled spaces that pervade our society today.

Divine Karen Kingsbury

“T

his is Love, when you fall, Jesus holds out a hand. When you turn away, He stands at the door of your heart, knocking. Always Knocking.” We all seek to be loved for who we are, craving His everlasting love. Colossians 1:21-22 says: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation”. This verse reminds me that even when we find ourselves alienated from God, we tell ourselves that we are not important to Him. The truth is that God never turns away from us. He still welcomes us even though we are poor in our behaviour or even when we turn away from Him. It is important to remember that Jesus died on the cross, and that it was this act of love that brings us back into God’s presence and reunites us with the Holy Spirit. Picking a good book with a good author is often

...this book places emphasis on second chances and people being able to rise up when their lives take a fall.

a challenge. However, Karen Kingsbury has a way of drawing her readers into the story from the synopsis of this book. ‘Divine’ was really inspiring for me. I loved how this book places emphasis on second chances and people being able to rise up when their lives take a fall. ‘Divine’ is a modern day version of Mary Magdalene’s story. Karen Kingsbury uses the contemporary parable to explore the potential heart and soul of one of Christ’s most devoted followers. She creates the character Mary Madison, an influential Director of a Washington DC women’s shelter, who is rescued from seven horrors, including abuse, prostitution and drug abuse. This 384 page novel is definitely one of her best works. She brings life to this biblical phenomenal through a tragic life story in which the characters choices are very believable. Although readers may not personally relate to the horrors experienced by Mary Madison, I hope, like me, that you can relate to the need that everyone has to find their freedom and that through the power of God, they can rise up against any given situation.

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TESTIFY

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS AND ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACTIVIST

GAIL-AGNES

EANNE NEILSON GREETS ME WITH A BIG HUG - AND AN EVEN BIGGER SMILE - AS SHE STEPS OUT OF HER CAR. “I LIKE TO GIVE HUGS,” SHE LATER EXPLAINS WITH A LAUGH. SHE IS RADIANT AND WAS QUITE VISIBLY IN HER FINAL TRIMESTER AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW - A FACT SHE GUSHED OVER AS WE WALKED INSIDE.

Though she is easily recognised for her multiple acting roles in films such as Free Willy, and Faith Like Potatoes, the fruits of Jeanne Neilson’s hard work are not limited to her profound performances on screen. She openly discussed her acting career and passionate activism to combat human trafficking, including some of the

MUSIKAVANHU

life lessons and advice that she has gathered after decades as a working woman - and a woman of faith - in the acting industry. “It has been the most profound partnership in my life,” Neilson says of her faith, and her career in the film industry. “There’s no disharmony between my faith and my work in the film industry at all. It’s very much been a God journey.” Soon after sitting down, I discovered that it truly has been a journey travelled with God. As a young woman, straight out of university, Neilson’s future was as unclear as it is for most young people in the same situation. I thought it would be fitting to ask her how she came to terms with her calling in the early stages of her life.

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INTERVIEW

THROUGH A WHOLE SERIES OF EVENTS AND MOMENTS, I LITERALLY HAD ONE OF THOSE FANTASTIC EPIPHANY MOMENTS OF REALISING THE FILM INDUSTRY WAS SOMETHING I WAS CALLED IN TO… “I never had a particular sense of call[ing] in my life,” Neilson reflects. “In fact, when I studied I just did a BA, which is fantastic because I never had a particular passion or focus. It was during my time in London after my studies that I really started getting a really intense sort of call in my life, but I didn’t know what it was. Through a whole series of events and moments, I literally had one of those fantastic epiphany moments of realising the film industry was something I was called in to…which was a surprise to me - it was something I’d never pursued. I’d never studied drama. In fact, I grew up in Bloemfontein, and it was the furthest thing from my mind.” In acknowledging this calling, Neilson recollects a feeling of inferiority based on her background and previous experience. “I thought, growing up in Bloem, that that type of thing happened to other people,” she says. “So it really was a surprise to me.” Although her journey toward embracing her life’s calling began in the United Kingdom, Neilson decided to return back to South Africa to pursue her career in acting, something she suggests all aspiring South African actors do. “What makes South Africa a great industry to start in is that it is small. You’re not competing against thousands of people. It’s not incredibly cutthroat, so it’s actually a very gentle industry to start in.”

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Neilson felt compelled to further the talent that exists in South Africa’s entertainment by joining – and later becoming a board member - of the South African Guild of Actors. The SAGA is an organisation that exists to make sure the voices of actors are heard not only within the local industry, but also as a part of the international community of actors – because, as Neilson asserts, “our industry here is a world class industry, but in many ways… [South African actors] need representation and support.” It was from that experience with SAGA that Neilson realised she wanted to step forward and help in more a meaningful ways, namely, in addressing an issue she’d long felt passionate about as a young woman: human trafficking. “As I started going into young adulthood, I started realising that I had a real passion for disempowered women and girls. And I remember hearing a talk a good number of years ago…where this person said that sometimes God breaks your heart for something, or he gives you a piece of where his heart is broken for something in the world. And I remember in that moment I realised it was disempowered women and girls.” Neilson’s activism against human trafficking is observable on her social media as well as in her involvement with S-CAPE, a non-profit

THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN SLAVERY TODAY THAN AT ANY OTHER POINT IN HUMAN HISTORY. WE ESTIMATE ABOUT 27 MILLION PEOPLE ARE LIVING AS SLAVES ON THE PLANET organisation in Cape Town that provides a place of safety for women who have been rescued from trafficking. “I don’t know if you know what it is,” she says, “but in basic terms, it’s modern day slavery. There are more people living in slavery today than at any other point in human history. We estimate about 27 million people are living as slaves on the planet, and a huge part of that, which comprises of domestic servitude and forced labour and that sort of thing, is sex trafficking. And obviously a massive part of that is women and girls. So when I heard that,

when that landed, it was another moment of epiphany and revelation of me going– this is it. This is how I want to step in, this is what I want to be involved in.” Neilson’s revelation led her to S-CAPE, the only house of its kind in South Africa. “It’s a beautiful organisation,” she says. “It really is there to take all those victims of human trafficking (women) and see them restored in power. It’s a privilege to be part of that.” As something to keep in mind for those who would like to get involved, Neilson emphasises that involvement is not limited to events or campaigns. “There are various ways you can get involved with anti-human trafficking in Cape Town,” she says. “With places like S-CAPE there is an on-going need for support and ways for people to get involved year round, apart from events. It’s the on-going things like financial partnership, groceries, and people who want to sign up on a volunteer basis.” Taking a look at Neilson’s vast body of work, it is encouraging to see someone succeeding in their field and continuing to give back not only to her community and peers, but to those in deep need.

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TESTIFY

MY STORY

NAME IS MINAH KOELA, AND I am 45 years old. I was born in Gugulethu, and grew up between Crossroads, Eastern Cape and Khayelitsha. From a young age, I knew that I had a calling to become a Sangoma. My mother was a Sangoma and had to leave school at a young age because of it, but she did not want the same for me and refused to let me become one without receiving an education first. So, she pleaded with the ancestors that they would let me finish school before I take up the calling. Throughout my time at school, I was a student in the top 5, but at age 19, while writing my matric exams, I became a mother myself. This led to me failing my matric, which shook me

because it was the first time I had failed at school, and ultimately, it felt like I had failed at a part of life. By 21, I was a single mother of two, who needed to feed her kids. Only, at that time, it was a taboo to have a child at 19, and even worse to be unmarried and have two. There were no child grants - in order to feed my boys, I had to sell umqombothi and brandy, perm peoples hair, and sell smileys (cooked sheep heads). My children were my driving force - I wanted them to have everything they needed - and the fact that I was a young, single mom was not going to stop me from providing that. I used the money I made to travel to Salt River to purchase t-shirts and tights, which I resold in the township. I earned a living, and we survived.

AT THE END OF 2012, I PASSED MY MATRIC. IT DIDN’T END THERE, THOUGH – I WANTED THIS ACHIEVEMENT TO ENCOURAGE MY SONS AND OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME TO TACKLE THINGS IN LIFE HEAD-ON, AND TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD. 35 SUMMER EDITION 2018

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” To this day I cherish this verse, Jeremiah 29:11. During this time, by the encouragement of a friend, I ended up at YWAM, where I became a Christian at age 23, and started working in full-time ministry. I got married and had more children. For years I worked with students at CPUT and UCT, and was involved in Bible college but I always felt like something was missing – like I was not clever enough. I continued to minister to people with this void, but it became increasingly apparent that my failure at school was a part of the past I needed to reconcile. This being so, I was motivated to start a business of my own, something that could re-affirm my intelligence and character. While being a pastor’s wife, I worked as a translator and a research assistant. At the back of my mind, I knew I actually needed to finish my matric. Here I was, interacting with academics, owning a business, but still feeling incomplete. I grappled with this. You

see, even Christians often doubt whether God can work in our lives. Instead of seeing Him as the Creator of all things – of possibility – all I saw was my age, my life, my family and children... In 2012, my research job was ending, my husband was retrenched from his job, and we were homeless. But God was there. A wonderful Christian couple that had adopted my husband while he was at Bible college took us in, while I tried applying for a job in research. Only, I kept facing rejection, because I had no matric certificate. I remember being so angry and disappointed at how much matric mattered, how it was a key that could open all these doors. That very afternoon, at age 40, I decided to go back to school. While running a home and ministry during the day, I attended classes in the evenings. This time was not without its own obstacles - I was a mother, a wife, and my father was very sick – but at the end of 2012, I passed my matric. It didn’t end there, though – I wanted this achievement to encourage my sons and other people like me to tackle things in life head-on, and to give glory to God. In 2016 I took on a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management at UCT. I lost my older sister in a car accident, and faced many more trials and tribulations, but I accomplished yet another feat and obtained the diploma. I praise God for all that he has done in my life it has not been easy, but every time, with God at my side, I have overcome. I hope this story inspires other young (and old!) black women to persevere in life…through all obstacles!

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MY STORY

Sy hart vir my

’n vierdejaar fisioterapie student is ek die geleentheid gegun om vir twee weke ’n module te gaan voltooi by ’n plek van my keuse. In daardie twee weke moet ek my kennis en kliniese vaardighede ontwikkel en soveel as moontlik werkservaring opdoen. Malawi was heel bo aan my lysie van plekke waar ek graag sou wou werk. Ek het hospitale gekontak en binne ’n paar weke was my uittog na die vreemde gereël. Ek sou die voorreg hê om dít wat ek in my vier jaar van studies geleer het, met die mense van Malawi te deel en in dieselfde asem sou ek my kliniese vaardighede ontwikkel in ’n land waar rehabilitasie glad nie ’n bekende konsep is nie. My tasse was gepak, my hart opgewonde, reg vir my avontuur, net om stil verstom te staan oor die pragtige kronkels en draaie wat God my laat stap het op die “Ek-het-alles-klaarbeplan”-pad. Ek het geweet Malawi is nie net nog ’n avontuur nie, dit was ’n reis waarop ek as kind van God, Sy hart wou ontdek. Ek was reg om alles wat ek het te gee. Ek wou lewens raak en mense se harte verander- my doel in die koninkryk ontdek. Maar dít wat God op die tafel gesit het, was ’n feesmaal waaroor ek nooit sou kon droom nie. Elke persoon wat my pad gekruis het, is deur God uitgekies om my hart stukkie vir stukkie te kom verander. Ek het gelewe vir vuil kindergesiggies wat my hand wil vashou en in elke bruin oog se glimlag het ek Hom gevind. Die warmte van harte wat my nooi vir ete terwyl hulle eie gesinne honger ly, het my opnuut laat besef dat geen mens van slegs brood kan lewe nie. Elke geleentheid wat ek gehad het om my storie te kon deel het God mense gebruik om my hart se diepste seer en onsekerheid te stil. In die grootheid van Sy natuur het Sy fluisterstem op my geskree en die eggo van my waardigheid in Hom het keer op keer tussen die berge weergalm. Ek het Malawi toe gegaan met ’n idee van hoe dit gaan wees, maar God het my idee baie

vinnig laat vervaag. Ek het gedink ek gaan om te géé, maar ek het in oorvloed ontvang. Ek het opregte waardering ontwikkel vir klein dingetjies wat in die groter prentjie soveel waarde dra. Malawi, sy mense en sy eenvoudige bestaan het my terug gebring na die belangrikste fondasie wat my hele wese bepaal. Ek is wie ek is omdat Hy my pad rig. Ek is wie ek is omdat Sy lig my gees lei. Die mooiheid van Sy planne vir my het my toegevou met ’n sekerheid dat Hy vir my genoeg is.

My tasse was gepak, my hart opgewonde, reg vir my avontuur, net om stil verstom te staan oor die pragtige kronkels en draaie wat God my laat stap het op die “Ek-hetalles-klaar-beplan”-pad. Malawi, die warm hart van Afrika, het my ‘n pad laat loop waar God se hart my in totaliteit oorweldig het. Sy hart: is onvoorwaardelike liefde, dis aanvaarding sonder voorgee, dis ‘n prentjiemooi grondgebied, dis glimlag, dis vrede, dis guns, dis oneindige genade. Hy was in die majestieuse berge wat God se krag uitgeskree het. Hy was in die gefluister van die wind toe ek onder die waterval gedans het. Hy was op elke berg, in elke sonsondergang en in elke stukkie ongerepte skepping wat om my geheers het. Hy was, Hy is, Hy sal altyd wees. Sy hart vir jou is nie anders as Sy hart vir my nie. Ons lewe is nie vir ons om te leef nie, Hy sal jou voete rig op die pad wat Hy wil hê jy moet loop, hoe baie kronkels en draaie daar ook al mag wees. Maak jou hart oop en laat Hom toe om jou feestafel te dek.

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SIMUNYE

PLUGGED IN

imunye is a church collaboration initiative that operates through the local church network on main university campuses around South Africa. Simunye, which in Zulu means ‘we are one’, is a desire to see university students finding true belonging in cross-cultural community embodying the marks of unity in diversity. Jesus Christ once said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Our heart is for all gospelcentred churches in the university to be united in love, regardless of denominational differences, inviting students who have perhaps given up on Christianity into the beauty of inclusive community. Looking ahead to the Spring Edition 2018 due in September, we are

39 SUMMER EDITION 2018

particularly excited about Scope Magazine becoming a medium for regional gospel partnership to take place on 9 main university campuses with a campus-specific publication in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein, Potchefstroom, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. If you or your church would like to know more about Simunye in one of these regions, or how to get involved with the Spring Edition, please do not hesitate to contact our Marketing Manager, Jethro Smith, here: Email – jethro.scopemagazine@gmail.com Mobile/WhatsApp – +27 (0) 74 665 5971

SAVVY STUDENT

EXPRESSIONS

BY THULANI NDABA

Jesus loves you. lie Jesus loves you. use his name in vain omg Jesus loves you. break a promise Jesus loves you. create your own idols Jesus loves you. steal Jesus loves you. sniff smoke and take a sip Jesus loves you. atheist or believer Jesus loves you. lust Jesus loves you. commit adultery Jesus loves you. fornicate homosexual or straight Jesus loves you. rape or murder Jesus loves you. heaven or hell Jesus loves you. It is never about your actions. While you are still a sinner, Jesus loves you. He died for you to be righteous. Why, you ask? Jesus loves you.

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EXPRESSIONS

BY NICOLETTE VAN SCHALKWYK

ingehok, uitgedos stu jy soggens voort na jou betonpondok van melk en heuning, oë genaal op die enkelbaan van jou bestaan. gekokon agter jou tralies op wiele wil ek aan jou vat. wil ek aan jou vat? nee... jy is nie mens gewoond. groot is jou skuur en naby jou skade want die pad na die Poort is nou en die tolhek duur. dis mos maar die kruis wat ons dra, sê jy: eersterat, tweederat, derderat... dood. skaap-jý, tropdier: mag jy rykdom vind op hierdie hoofweg na nêrens

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BY SIMÓNE VORSTER

Unfathomable; words do no justice – to the unspeakable presence your Spirit brings. My words are captured and anointed by your Spirit as I worship: You predestined me for amazing things.

How does your beautiful mind work; how should I grasp the gesture of you uplifting all the pressure and truly breaking every chain – granting great authority to me and treating me like royalty?

How closely knit your thoughts, Father, to my existence; Your will to my destiny; Your timing to my misery… I long to know you in all intimacy as you lavish your love on me.

Christ’s humble birth always will remind me I’m not worthy, still you romance me with joy and light on this very Holy night.

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SAVVY STUDENT

HELPFUL HINTS

By Matshepo Madupela

43 SUMMER EDITION 2018

nfortunately, there isn’t a magical eraser that wipes out the habits that result from a childhood trauma when we become adults. Unless we decide what kind of people we want to become and work on that, nothing is going to change. And though we are justified to blame our parents and malicious exes and sibling rivalry for our relational dysfunction, sooner or later we’re going to have to take responsibility, not for their actions towards us, but for making sure that we aren’t permanently wounded by them. This is a list of twenty things I hope to learn while I’m still in my twenties. I’m quite inconsistent and this is by no means a list of things I have achieved but rather, the small practices that I believe could go a long way in helping me become a more stable adult. 01. DEAL WITH YOUR STUFF. Confront those demons that hide in the darkest places and strip them of their power. That thing that happened when you were five, your inability to admit that you’re wrong, your tendency towards destruction… none of that will go away on its own. Make an appointment with a therapist. Call your dad and tell him you forgive him. See a shrink. Read some books. Hide out in a cabin

while you still have the time; you won’t be able to do this once you have a full-time job. 02. LOVE EVERYBODY: Those you completely agree with as well as those you always disagree with. Love is the language of creation, of existence, of His Kingdom and your very soul. 03. DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER: Choose the narrow road; work on who God wants you to become because who you are is more important than what you do. 04. FLEE THE FLAMES: Quit flirting with disaster. Seriously. “Can you build a fire in your lap and not burn your pants?” That fire you’re playing with is going to kill you. Stop it. You are not fireproof; neither are the people who will be affected by your careless actions. 05. EVALUATE IDEALS AND EXPECTATIONS: For most of us, our lives are far from what we hoped they would have been like. Don’t feel like a failure for not achieving perfection, you won’t find it on this side of life, anyway. 06. LISTEN TO INSTRUCTION: You don’t know everything, and sometimes people have a lot more insight and know better than you, do listen to their counsel.

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HELPFUL HINTS

07. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY: One of my English teachers in school used to say “if you hang around ducks for long enough, you will begin to quack”. Look at the people you spend most of your time with. Do you want to look, behave and think like they do? If not, find new friends. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can resist bad influences. 08. FAILURE IS NOT FINAL… but it does hurt. Feel its sting. It’s okay to get angry and disappointed and despondent. Sit in the weight of crushed hopes and realise that your life is worth far more than things that didn’t go as planned. Then try again. Put one foot in front of the other, if necessary, get someone to walk with you, and try again. 09. LEARN TO BE CONSISTENT. We’re creatures of habits. Learn to form good ones. A lot of what life is made up of is mundane moments. 10. FIND YOUR PASSION. “If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at is full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all, become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good”. You were created to be extraordinary. Find what makes you come alive, it’s worth far more than what a salary slip can give you. 11. MANAGE MONEY WELL: Learn to be generous, even when you don’t have much. Blowing your budget is cute when you’re twenty-two, it’s a disaster when you’re thirty-two. 12. LIFE IS FULL OF MYSTERY AND TRAGEDY AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: We won’t always understand why certain things happen. Some things will never be made sense of because they’re so senseless. Grieve, make peace with not having the answers and move on.

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13. DELAY GRATIFICATION: “These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph, die, like fire and powder”. Learn to wait, nothing is worse than wishing that you had. 14. PURSUE CONTENTMENT: Comparison is a trap and contrary to what popular culture tells us, life is not measured by how much you own. The most important investment you can ever make will be towards a rich relationship with God. 15. CRUSH THOSE INSECURITIES: There will always be someone prettier, richer or smarter than you. Celebrate what makes you unique instead of worrying about what makes others different from you. 16. PUSH THROUGH QUIET, DRY SEASONS: learn to persevere and endure, especially when you don’t feel like it. 17. KNOW YOUR VICES. What you think makes you stronger or what appears to help you cope with life a little easier, might be killing you. Drinking a bit too much, spending money recklessly, finding comfort in the arms of guys or girls… rather grit your teeth and confront head-on what you run to when you are triggered, instead of trying to pacify it with temporary fixes – which were never meant to fix that in the first place. 18. GET OFF THE FENCE: It belongs to Satan. Take a stand for what you believe in. 19. BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH SOLITUDE: Loneliness and solitude are two completely different things. Learn to be alone without shutting out those who love you. 20. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Whatever you think about, you will become. Choose to think good thoughts.