Following the recent racial twitter spat between popular Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr and puppeteer Conrad Koch with his puppet Chester Missing a YouTube video emerged from a certain Bouwer Bosch; a spoken word video in Afrikaans titled “Kleurblind”. The video has since gone viral and made headlines in most of the major newspapers country wide.
In the video Bouwer makes brave claims as to where a Christian ought to stand in this whole racial firestorm. With lyrics like; you cannot be a Christian and a racist, Jesus did not die for your skin colour and Jesus is not a “Voortrekker”, he challenges the fundamental beliefs many people have taken for granted for so long.
Since the video emerged on social networking sites streams of support and hate have flowed Bouwer’s way with Steve Hofmeyr himself taking to twitter to say that he cannot find fault with Bouwer’s video but still called it idealistic.
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Watch the video:
The video’s fundamental message is love, one that has always been the core message of the Gospel, and taking into consideration the tons of support Bouwer has received since sharing this video you can safely say that Bouwer is a voice for the new generation of not only Afrikaans Christians but South African Christians as a whole.
Bouwer is best known as the lead singer for Afrikaans rock band “Straatligkinders” that formed during the band’s varsity days at Potch University. “Straatligkinders” has since emerged as one of the most popular Afrikaans bands of the past 10 years, with a message of love and hope entwined in their lyrics. Although they never identified themselves as a Christian band Bouwer’s Christian influence was always prominent in the lyrics of their songs.
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Bouwer has since launched a solo career and he’s involved in another side project titled “Dans Dans Lisa” with friend Deon Meiring. He started a clothing label that uses the phrase he made popular; “Liefde Wen” (Love Wins), and has also started Bouwer Bosch films where he has been responsible for numerous music videos for South African Bands.
When you access Bouwer’s website you can read the following description he wrote of himself: “I sing what I cannot say. I’m not a comedian, but sometimes I find myself funny. Sometimes I’m more lost than the people that follow me. I know about hurting people, I know about being hurt and being disappointed. I’ve got more questions than answers. I never have money but I have good friends. I sing (off key sometimes) from the heart because my throat hurts from screaming. Sometimes I feel lost, waiting to be found. www.bouwerbosch.co.za
One cannot argue with the content of Bouwer’s spoken word video “Kleurblind”; it encompasses the most basic and most important of Gospel truths: love your neighbour. Bouwer has emerged from the most unlikely place to be a voice for the voiceless South Africans that are sick of the hate we spew at each other. “Kleurblind” has unintentionally become an anthem of a generation looking to love and not hate.
we need to stand up and the persons God wants us to be! To save the lost and to guide the believers and to love everyone the same! Because Jesus died for everyone black or white. In God’s eyes we are one bride and together we can save a brocken world and bring heaven to the earth! Amen
Lord, forgive us for the sin of racism – of thinking and saying that others of a different pigmentation were not created by You … ‘Love your neighbour’ is your instruction with no prerequisites ! Grant us changed minds and full hearts. Amen
As the Creator of human beings, God also laid down rules for social identity and the formation of groups to ensure the orderly functioning of society. The most important of these is the family unit which God has ordained to be the very bed-rock of ordered, disciplined, well-adjusted, happy, stable societies and nations. Satan relentlessly attacks these institutions in an effort to sow disorder and chaos.
Cultural differences among various societies and nations are also minimised by superimposing universally acceptable trends and institutions on groups with a strong sense of identity – the aim being to erode their patriotism and transform their members into planetary citizens. These reforms, through which national and ethnic identity are discouraged, form the basis of the neo-Babylonian world society of the future. In that society, any ideology may be subscribed to, any religion may be practised, any type of marriage may be practised (e.g. same sex) or none, and no moral norms are enforced. When this stage has been reached in the demonic war against God’s standards for individuals, groups, and nations, Satan will have achieved his objective of creating cultural chaos and loss of identity among human beings.
Bouwer’s message is spot on, but his shouting tone comes across as angry, which contradicts the message of ‘love instead of hate’.
The credit line says he wrote the words and the music, but I heard no ‘music’. I would like to hear his speech in a “song” version, with those black and white notes playing real music!
His opening quote from the Lord’s Prayer, addressing God as OUR FATHER, invests powerful meaning into the song: If we are born again into God’s family, then we have one over-riding IDENTITY as “children of God” (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). All other identities of race, language, nationality, gender must be subjugated to this Ultimate Identity in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:26-29. My love to all readers, especially those of the family of faith!
@Hugh – you wrote “his shouting tone comes across as angry, which contradicts the message of ‘love instead of hate’” – how does this follow? Seems you are assuming that anger/frustration is always a problem…
No. The vocal tone he’s using is spot on – anguish, anger, frustration are appropriate responses to sin, in this case, racism. Jesus displayed this too, a loving anger, when he was clearing out the temple, or calling the Pharisees out for their hypocrisy. Love isn’t always nice.
A great video.