Reading Luke 17:11-19 in the Context of Beggars in Pietermaritzburg

Introduction

One day I was going to ‘checkers’ (a shopping Mall around Scottsville) with my friend (a Christian) and there we saw three young men standing outside the gate (beggars). Their situation made us to comment and our reflexion was: why some people live on the streets while others throw food into the rubbish bin every day? My friend reacted saying that: ‘if you take this kind of people to your house they will steal and go’. From his analysis I realised that this is a common thought within urban communities (including the church), whereby people create exaggerated assumptions about beggars in order to keep boundaries with them. They forget that their situation results from economic injustice in South Africa, whereby those economically stable (insiders) do not want to share with those who have no bread (outsiders). Mary Douglas elaborates very well this idea of boundaries between the ‘insider’ and the ‘outsiders’ when she argues that “the body is a symbolic medium which is used to express particular patterns of social relations” (1970: xiii). In other words, the body is used to communicate boundaries between the “self and the other” (Draper 2009:67). For instance, diseases, socio-economic conditions, political orientation and geographical location of people can be a motive for exclusion as well as for inclusion.

Applying Mary Douglas in Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:11-19 introduces Jesus moving from one place to another and passes through the borders of a foreign land (v.11), where is called by ten men with leprosy to have pity on them (v.13). In response, Jesus commands them to go and show themselves to the priests (14). At the end one among them (not from the chosen land) thanked Jesus (v.15).  My interest in the story is the conversation between the men and Jesus. Then, my question is: why does Jesus send the men to the priests?

According to John L. McKenzie, people suffering from skin diseases (leprosy) were regarded as unclean and they were unacceptable to worship God until they perform certain ceremonies that sometimes included sacrifices (1983:755). Failing to do that, unclean people were expelled from the society and consequently marginalized. Issues related to worship, sacrifice, knowledge of God and other sacred traditions were mainly controlled by the Priests (McKenzie 1983:818), who had created exaggerated rules for them to keep boundaries of the body with the dirty/unclean (the ten men who had leprosy). Applying Mary Douglas’s theory in this text becomes obvious that the ten men had lost their social reputation due to their skin diseases. Their unclean status had made them to be excluded from the common life of the society. For this reason, Jesus was forced to break the traditional rules, opting by the new meaning of social relations, which is the social re-integration, restoring social reputation of all those considered ‘outsiders’ by the society. Thus, this story is not just a simple healing account but a social re-integration of all those expelled from the common life due to diseases, socio-economic conditions, political orientation and geographical location (the outsiders).

Conclusion

What Jesus did in Luke 17:11-19, conscientize all of us who advocate for economic sharing in Pietermaritzburg and other parts of the world, to repent and reflect on the life of those young men who dwell on the streets, eating rubbish, expelled from the common social life because of their socio-economic conditions, which make them unclean. I am sure that, if the society re-integrate them and educate them very well, this kind of people (as my friend calls them) can be the future of this nation and of the world in general.

Bibliography

Douglas, M. 1970. Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology. New York: Pantheon Books.

Draper, J. A. 2009. What Goes In and What Goes Out: Reading Mark 7 and Zulu Culture in the Context of Communal Healing. In Richardson, N. (ed), Broken Bodies and Healing Communities: The Challenge of HIV and AIDS in the South African Context, Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications, 61-81.

McKenzie, J. (ed.) 2005. DICIONÁRIO BIBLICO, São Paulo: Paulus.

My friends and family from all over the world!

This is a special message to inform you that i am now back again to South Africa for Masters.

My honours was good, i successfully completed it last year. Now i am back to face another challenge hopefully

i will complete it on time. I wish you all the best, may the hand of God the heavenly angels protect you all in this 2012.

Regards,

Helder!

Ordinary people engaging with the Bible: The case of a woman in Mozambique

Ordinary people engaging with the Bible: The case of a woman in Mozambique

Tinyiko Sam Maluleke argues that “the Bible is one of the most significant resources in Africa” (2000:91). Indeed, in both mainline and African Independent churches the Bible plays a crucial role; it has been used as an instrument of protection against evil spirits, of healing, of teaching and so forth. This engagement of the Bible in Africa comprehends two distinctive contexts: the popular one by the lay or ordinary people and the academic one by the professional Theologians and exegetes (Holta 2000:52, 55).  To meet the objective of this study it will be restricted to the engagement by the ordinary people; focusing mainly on a certain woman from Inhammússua, a small village in Mozambique. This woman who is a member of the United Methodist Church in Mozambique sees the Bible as an instrument of super power; in her understanding, the Bible can be used to protect people against evil spirits. The woman, known as Mwa Bila, was a member of the Apostolic Church but some years ago she joined our local Methodist congregation. She’s an active participant of Sunday service, she is not educated according to formal parameters and she can’t read or write. Interesting, she has a Bible translated into the local language (Tswa) and every Sunday she brings it to the church. She likes a chorus sang in Tswa, which says: A byala/wuloyi/… ni Bibele ulanga yini? Nzi langa Bibele gi nga ni wutomi (between alcohol/witchcraft/… and the Bible what do you prefer? I prefer the Bible since it gives life). She sings this chorus almost every Sundays. Again, even with her difficulties in reading or writing, she likes to preach and if she is not given the opportunity she complains; she needs someone to read the scriptures and then she explains in her own words what she heard from the reading.

Therefore, when I had this task of finding a case study where ordinary people engage with the Bible, I decide to call my mom back home and get more information about this woman. My mom told me that she really uses the Bible as a super potent tool in fighting against the evil spirits. The clear example was highlighted when my mother was facing a very big problem, she was always having nightmares and she could not sleep for so many days. In a conversation with that woman after Sunday service, my mother commented with her (Mwa Bila) about the situation. In response, the woman told my mother to pray every day before going to bed, and then sleep with the Bible under her pillow. Personally, I tried to ask my mother if this did really help her to overcome the situation or not but the response was neither yes nor no; she just limited me saying: ‘if someone is in need whatever they tell him/her to do he/she must do’ (My mother). Even though mom did not give a clear answer, it easy for anyone to see from this conversation that the Bible is used as an instrument of power, able to give life and fight against evil spirits.

Works consulted:

Carlos, E 2011. [Personal communication]. September 7.

Holta, K. 2000. Popular and Academic Contexts for Biblical Interpretation in Africa

Okure, T. (ed) 2000. To Cast Fire upon the Earth: Bible and Mission Collaborating in Today’s Multicultural Global Context, Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications.

Reading the Prologue of John through our Contemporary society

Reading the Prologue of John through our Contemporary society

The prologue of john starts with the statement “in the beginning” (Jo 1:1). This beginning is not the beginning of time, it goes beyond memory and it reflects God’s time that is imaginary and outside Human history. Looking at the socio-Historical context behind the gospel of John [that is the Greco-Roman World] this beginning reflects the existence of Jesus is beyond the Emperor, since existed even before Abraham. Jesus is presented by the author of John as having power of mediating creation through the word (Jo 1:3). Again Jesus is described as life which
became the light of God (Jo 1:4); Jesus is the life and the light of the Human being which comes to display the darkness. The believers of Jesus in John’s Gospel are called to create a distance from darkness (not to be accommodated with the Roman Empire). In John’s Gospel, the true light is different from the false light, since it comes to illuminate everybody (Jo 1:9); this true light comes to transform the world with hatred (the Roman World) into new World (the neutral world). Jesus comes as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of Rome (the Imperial System). Moreover, Jesus is presented as the giver of power for people to become the children of God (Jo 1:12); it depend on the people to reject or accept it. In John, those who were accommodated to the Empire and the Emperor reject the logos hence are not children of God and the believers of Jesus are reminded to create distance and accept the logos for them to become children of God. Jesus is the only giver of free light and life, there is no condition for people to obtain light and life. So, the beginning of this Gospel of John reflects a form of negotiation with the imperial World in Ephesus, where Augusts was seen as the giver of life; the life given by Jesus is transcendent since it benefited all people while that one by Augusts benefited the elite.

When I read the prologue of John’s Gospel and its context, I quickly remember the popular statement by the ruling party in Mozambique which says: a Frelimo é que fez, a Frelimo é que faz (Frelimo is the one who did, Frelimo is the one who does). Looking at the reality of Mozambique today it is clear that there is no way in which one can succeed economically through an independent institution; people who are rich are also connected with the ruling political party. This wealth is a result of privatization of financial institutions after the Structural adjustment programme imposed by the IMF and World Bank as a strategy to overcome poverty in the country. But the reality shows that this imposition does not respond to the need of the ordinary people; nevertheless it promotes an extractive economy, creating a small group of rich people (the Mozambican elite) while the majority struggle just because of bread. In this same idea, some church leaders (Pastors or Ministers) are accommodated with this system, since the ruling elite bribe them with cars, nice houses and banquettes. In return, they issue political letters congratulating them and their system of Governance, and helping them to make campaign when is time for elections. Thus, the Prologue of John gives a clear example of a rhetoric language that we can use to negotiate the system of Governance in Mozambique, calling those who claim to be Christians to create a distance from the existing oppressive system. Doing so, they can become children of God, since Jesus is far beyond Frelimo and its mechanism of oppression; Jesus existed before IMF and World Bank. The popular statement (a Frelimo é que fez, a Frelimo é que faz) is useless because Jesus is the true light who gives life with no condition to everyone, not the exclusive one by Frelimo.

Report of the meeting with Helder Luis Carlos

Report of the meeting with Helder Luis Carlos
Mapanzene

By Reverend
Alke Liebich, summer of 2011

During my family holiday I paid a visit to Pietermaritzburg and to Helder Luis Carlos
Mapanzene. He is studying theology in Ricatla, Mozambique. On the invitation of Church in Action he was at the VU university in Amsterdam for the study programme “Building Bridges” last year. Together with Manuel Ernesto he was a guest of many congregations in the Netherlands, where you may have met him.

Helder is studying for a master’s degree in South Africa now, with the support of Church in Action. He wants to let you know that he is well. He is studying hard, is very motivated and his teachers are quite satisfied with the quality of his results. He is very happy with the support from the Netherlands and likes to think back to the meetings in theNetherlands. He asked me to send his warm regards!

We also had the impression that it is not always easy for Helder to live in Pietermaritzburg; he still has to get settled there. Seeking contact with other students is not always easy. South-Africans are used to their rather well-developed country and do not realize that they might learn something from a Mozambican ( because Mozambicans and Zimbabweans are usually the cheap and heavily underpaid labourers inSouth Africa).

This is the church of the Lutheran seminary, where Helder lives. We arrived there on Sunday morning and were given a warm welcome by one of the hosts. We did not attend the service (it started as early as 9 o’clock, which we could not make). But it was wonderful to be given such a welcome, as guests who just happened to come by. By the way, the Lutheran tradition is also new for Helder. We were also
given an enthusiastic round tour in the library and the rooms of the faculty.
Our impression was that Helder really feels at home there. Pietermaritzburg is a city that looks British-Victorian, situated near the “battlefields”, the area of heavy fighting during the Boer War in the 19^th century. With every step you take there, you see the history. Our joint visit to the Voortrekkersmuseum was very special. This museum was built by the Boeren, to commemorate the “great trek” of Boeren from Capetown to the north. This is also the place of the Geloftekerk, a church built later to keep the oath, which was sworn before the Battle of Bloedrivier (the victory over the Zulus in 1838).

Translated quotation from Wikipedia of the original speech in Afrikaans: My brothers and fellows, we are standing now before a holy God of heaven and earth, to swear an oath to Him, if he gives us His protection and places our enemies into our hands so that we can defeat them, that we will spend that day in His honour every year as an anniversary and a day of thanksgiving, like a Sabbath, and that we will found a temple in His honour where it will please Him and that we will also tell our children to share this with us, as a commemoration for future generations, for the honour of His name will be glorified by this, so that the glory and honour of this victory will be given to him.

This was an impressive sight and difficult to understand. What happened then, and what should we think today of the faith of these white Boeren? We talked a lot about it. Helder was surprised. He had not expected that there would be so many references to the white past. “But it is a good thing that the memories of white suppression remain visible. It is still a part of the history here. In Mozambique this is different. It is difficult to talk about it. Recently a Portuguese monument was demolished just like that: let’s get rid of it.” Of course we had to make a photo of the monument for Mahatma Ghandi. We also walked together along Helder’s favourite walking places. It was good to see each other again and to experience something of each other’s life and experiences. Being a place where both Helder and we were guests, gave it an extra dimension. It made the experience twice as strong, seen through our own eyes, and through Helder’s eyes, which was very special.

In 2011 and 2012 Helder is supported by Church in Action with a sum of 12.500 euros for his study in South Africa. You can raise money for this in your own congregation.

 

visit from holland

Tijdens mijn vakantie
met mijn gezin bracht ik een bezoek aan Pietermaritzburg, en aan Helder Luis
Carlos Mapanzene. Hij studeerde theologie in Ricatla, Mozambique en was vorig
jaar op uitnodiging van KerkinActie aan de VU in Amsterdam voor het studieprogramma
Building Bridges. Toen was hij samen met Manuel Ernesto te gast bij vele
gemeentes in Nederland, en heeft u hem misschien leren kennen.

 

Helder
studeert nu in Zuidafrika voor een masters degree, met steun van KerkinActie.
Hij laat jullie weten dat het goed gaat met hem. Hij studeert flink, is zeer
gemotiveerd en docenten zijn zeer tevreden over de kwaliteit van zijn
resultaten. Hij is heel blij met de steun vanuit Nederland, en denkt graag terug
aan de ontmoetingen in Nederland. Ik moet iedereen heel hartelijk groeten!

 

Wij
hadden ook de indruk dat het voor Helder niet altijd eenvoudig is om in
Pietermaritzburg te leven; hij moet zijn draai nog vinden. De aansluiting met
studenten gaat niet altijd makkelijk. Zuidafrikanen zijn namelijk gewend aan hun
redelijk ontwikkelde land, en komen niet op het idee dat zij iets zouden kunnen
opsteken van een Mozambicaan.  (n.b.
Mozambicanen – en Zimbabwanen –  in
Zuidafrika zijn doorgaans de goedkope en zwaar onderbetaalde arbeidskrachten)

 

Dit is de
kerk van het lutherse seminarie, waar Helder woont. Wij kwamen daar op
zondagmorgen en werden gelijk welkom geheten door een gastheer van de kerk. De
dienst hebben we niet meegemaakt (die begon al om 9 uur, dat konden we niet
halen). Toch mooi om als toevallige gast zo welkom geheten te worden. De
lutherse traditie is overigens ook nieuw voor Helder.

Wij
zijn ook nog enthousiast rondgeleid in de bibliotheek en in de ruimtes van de
faculteit. Helder is daar goed thuis, zo is onze indruk.
Pietermaritzburg
is een brits-victoriaans aandoende stad vlakbij de battle fields, het gebied waar veel gevochten is tijdens de Boerenoorlogen
in de 19^e eeuw. Die geschiedenis ontmoet je bij elke stap. Bijzonder
was ons gezamenlijk bezoek aan het Voortrekkersmuseum. Dat museum is daar neergezet
door de boeren, om de grote trek van boeren van Kaapstad naar het noorden te
gedenken. Daar staat ook de geloftekerk: een kerk die later is gebouwd om de
gelofte gestand te doen die vooraf aan de Slag van Bloedrivier is gedaan (overwinning op de Zulu’s in
1838).

 

Citaat wikipedia
Afrikaans:

Die oorspronklike Nederlandse bewoording van Die Gelofte
lui as volg:

Mijne broeders en medegenoten, Hier
staan wij tans op een ogenblik voor een heilige God van hemel en aarde om een
belofte aan Hem te beloven, als Hij Zijn bescherming met ons zal wezen, en ons
vijand in onze handen sal geven, dat wij hem oorwinnen, dat wij die dag en
datum elke jaar als een verjaardag en een dankdag zoals een Sabbat in Zijn eer
sal doorbrengen en dat wij een tempel tot Zijn eer stichten sal, waar het Hem
sou behagen en dat wij het ook aan onze kinderen zal zeggen, dat zij met ons er
in moeten delen, tot gedachtenis ook voor onze opkomende geslachten, want de
eer van Zijn Naam zal daardoor verheerlikt worden, dat de roem en eer van
overwinning aan Hem sal worden gegeven. (wikipedia Afrikaans)

 

Dat
was indrukwekkend om te zien, en moeilijk om te begrijpen. Wat gebeurde er
toen, en wat moeten we nu denken van het geloof van de blanke boeren? Wij
hebben er veel over gepraat. Helder was erdoor verrast. Hij had niet verwacht
dat er zo veel verwijzingen naar het blanke verleden zouden zijn. ‘Maar het is
goed dat de herinneringen aan de blanke overheersing zichtbaar blijven. Het is
toch deel van je geschiedenis. Dat gaat in Mozambique anders. Het is moeilijk
bespreekbaar. Daar werd een Portugees monument onlangs gewoon gesloopt: weg
ermee.’
Natuurlijk
moesten we het monument van Mahatma Gandhi fotograferen. En we wandelden samen
langs de favorieten wandelplekken van Helder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Het
was mooi om elkaar zo terug te zien en iets te ervaren van het leven en van elkaars
ervaringen. Dat wij in een plaats waren waar en wij én Helder te gast zijn,
geeft een extra dimensie. Daardoor ervaar je de dingen a.h.w. dubbel: met onze
eigen ogen, en met de ogen van Helder. Bijzonder.

 

 

Mentoring Group Meeting- 14 March 2011

Contextual Bible Study (Judges 19:14-29)

1. Spontaneous reading of the text.

a)     Read as a letter addressed to you.

b)    Use your emotions/intuitions/experiences.

c)     Try to let the text speak to you.

1. What is the central message of the text?
2. Which conflict/struggle/problem do you see in the text?
3. To which personal experiences does this text appeals? Find parallels.
4. With whom do you read the text? If you would have been part of the text, which role would you have played? Why?

• Conclusion

By: Helder Luis Carlos