GOD IN MY STRUGGLE

I’m proud to be in an organization that fights for, protects, promotes and advances the dignity of the poor.

Our struggle is a struggle for respect which puts people first and is people driven. I’ve lately looked at how God plays a huge role in my struggle. If it wasn’t for God we wouldn’t be were we are today. It is true that God is always on the side of the poor.

Today we have bruises and scars from our fight for Human Dignity. Our government does not believe that the poor people’s dignity needs to be respected. If the government recognised our dignity we would be living an equal life. The fact that there is a huge difference between how the poor and the rich live and are treated shows that the government does not recognise us because we don’t have money.

But in front of God's eyes we are all the same. God made humanity out of his own image, as a sign of that we are all the same. In fact Jesus was born into a poor family. He did not take his message to the rich and hope that it would trickle down from there. He lived amongst the poor and he chased the money changers out of the Temple. Christianity began as a religion of the poor. So I ask myself why are the poor treated differently today?

As young leaders, our elders don’t forget to advise us about the 10 commandments of God which are in Exodus 20. I full engaged with this chapter, looked deeply in to it and started to compare it with the way that we are living today. I look into verse 12 which says “Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.” I don’t stop asking myself if the leaders like Nigel Gumede, have even thought of reading the bible. They don’t respect elders in our presence. I fail to understand why old people are still living in shacks. How does one feel when one's elders are living in such state, while the politicians are all living in fancy houses? And our elders are treated liked naughty children when they want to discuss matters with the politicians. Building houses does take some time. But engaging people in a respectful way takes no time. All it takes is to recognise them as human beings.

Verse 15 says “Do not steal.” I wonder if all the councilors who are running the communities' and government's resources as if they are running their own spaza shop where they take and give when ever they wish to – with the result that today there are lots of people who are being left homeless while according to the computers they are seen as if they have homes – have had time to read this chapter thoroughly.

Verse 16 says “Do not accuse anyone falsely.” There are people from Kennedy Road who today still don't have homes after they were falsely accused and chased out. 12 members of Kennedy served a year of imprisonment for a crime that they did not commit. Even though the police used torture to try and manufacture a case against the 12 their case was thrown out of the court. The judge found that witnesses were lying and that the police had written witnesses statements. I wonder what Nigel Gumede and Willies Mchunu will say to God for all the tears and stress and frustration they caused to people made in the images of God. Today Gumede and Mchunu are leaving in their homes while there are leaders from Kennedy who are still in Exile.

God will answer one day. No stone will be left unturned, no tear will drop on the flow. God has a dish where all the tears are flowing to and surely he shall answer them. Soon we will be worshipping with Psalm 6:8: “Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”

God made all people, rich and poor, and any oppression of any people is a sin in the eyes of God. All oppressors will have to account for their oppression. God is on the side of all struggles for justice. His spirit moves in our struggles and keeps us strong. As we struggle we are bringing his spirit into the world.

Amandla! *The Struggle of the poor going along side God shall continue*

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. I am blessed to be Umlali waseMjondolo

Bandile Mdlalose
ABM – General Secretary
071 424 2815