Grace and peace to you and through you
This week marked the 5th year since the Marikana Massacre and still no one who made the murderous decisions on that day has been held to account. Over the last couple of months, we have witnessed the email evidence of State Capture yet to be investigated by the National Director of Public Prosecutions “for a lack of evidence”. In the last few weeks we have seen those who stand up for truth and integrity being intimidated and threatened with disciplinary action and even death, while those who mismanage and lie are protected or even promoted. In the last few days we have seen racist attacks outside a KFC and again after a rugby match with people using the K-word. A woman is beaten up by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education who continues to hold office despite it being on video. A young woman is beaten by the “First Lady” of Zimbabwe. Nazis march openly in the USA and President Trump struggles to out-rightly condemn them. The president of the Philippines says “it is good” in relation to the news that 60 people have been killed in 3 days of the government’s continued “war on drugs”. These stories and more can be found in a single edition of our daily newspaper. Right and wrong have traded places*(see Holy War by Alicia Keys below) and it’s not clear where the reset button is – at least that is what it feels like. Despair is always within easy reach and so is denial.
The question we all need to wrestle with was raised this week by Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer (32) who was killed while resisting the racist protests in Charlottesville last weekend. At Heather’s memorial service, Susan concluded: “If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention. Make a point to look at it. That’s how you make her death worthwhile. I’d rather have my child, but if I can’t have her, by golly we’re going to make it count. Say to yourself ‘What can I do to make a difference? And that’s how you gonna make my child’s death worthwhile.”
Grace, Alan
Holy War
by Alicia Keys
If war is holy and sex is obscene
We’ve got it twisted in this lucid dream
Baptized in boundaries, schooled in sin
Divided by difference, sexuality and skin
Oh so we can hate each other and fear each other
We can build these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick0
Keep yourself locked in, yourself locked in
Yeah we can hate each other and fear each other
We can build these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself locked in, yourself locked
Oh maybe we should love somebody
Oh maybe we could care a little more
So maybe we should love somebody
Instead of polishing the bombs of holy war
What if sex was holy and war was obscene
And it wasn’t twisted, what a wonderful dream
Living for love, unafraid of the end
Forgiveness is the only real revenge
Oh so we can heal each other and feel each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, yourself open
Yeah we can heal each other and feel each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, you’re open
So maybe we should love somebody
Maybe we could care a little more
So maybe we should love somebody
Instead of polishing the bombs of holy war
What if love was holy and hate obscene
We should give life to this beautiful dream
Cause peace and love ain’t so far
If we nurse our wounds before they scar
Nurse our wounds before they scar
