South African Christian News: Telling the God Stories of Africa
Have you ever felt that sharp, tight knot in your chest when you realise that someone has completely misread your heart? Perhaps an honest boundary was labelled as coldness. Perhaps a decision you made in good faith was misconstrued as selfish, ambitious, or critical. Or maybe someone passed judgment on […]
Few phrases in the Christian lexicon are quoted as often — and misapplied as easily — as Paul’s instruction to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). All too often, this verse can become a theological loophole. We may use “truth” as a vehicle to deliver (harsh) criticism, dressing up […]
There is a quiet misconception that often creeps into Christian circles about what it means to be “gracious” in the workplace. Somewhere along the line, we started conflating biblical grace with the avoidance of conflict. We tell ourselves that being a faithful believer at work means that we must be […]
Seemingly a paradox, it is one of the silent aches in the South African Church today, and more common than many of us would like to admit. We enter the church looking for a sanctuary — a place of safety, community, and unconditional love and acceptance, but what we sometimes […]
This Mother’s Day, as much as my heart longs to, I won’t have the opportunity to spend time with my mom, so I have penned this poem instead, to give expression to the mixed emotions that Mother’s Day can evoke, not just in me but in so many of us: […]
In this past Holy Week, as we contemplated the Lamb that was slain and the price that He paid for the sin of humanity, I was prompted to reflect on the Via Dolorosa in our context — South Africa: The limestone of Jerusalem is polished smooth, Worn by the friction […]
A specific kind of quiet sometimes settles over our home now that we are parenting both a pre-teen and a teenager. It’s different from years gone by when we experienced the silence of a napping toddler; now it’s the heavy, contemplative silence of a house full of bigger bodies, big […]
This year is my firstborn’s final year of high school. Gulp! How did we get here? It is true what they say: The days are long (sometimes!) but (in hindsight) the years are (oh so) short. Yes, I am feeling a little (okay, more than a little) emotional. It is […]
As we approach the festive season, and with the prospect of an extended summer break right around the corner, my thoughts are turning to the opportunities we will have as a family to spend more time with others, both family and friends, at home. During the year, not a week […]
This past Sunday, we held our annual Kids Service, a celebration of the children in our local congregation and an opportunity for them to “take over” the adult service. Afterwards, we shared a meal together and there were fun activities and special treats for the kids. It has become a […]