What difference does the church make? I was asked that question recently – and it’s a good question to ask. Would our town, our community, our country notice if the churches, and indeed all our faith communities, disappeared?
What difference does the church make? I was asked that question recently – and it’s a good question to ask. Would our town, our community, our country notice if the churches, and indeed all our faith communities, disappeared?
Apart from the gap at the end of High Street, would anyone notice it if the Cathedral disappeared? What are we contributing to the healing and reconciliation and renewal of our country? In what way (if at all) has the Christian community changed or impacted on Grahamstown for the better?
To begin with, I looked around at the educational institutions of this place, many of them established by the churches, or through the vision and hard work of individuals.
Schools such as St Andrew’s, DSG, Kingswood, Good Shepherd, St Aidans and the Assumption Convent (both now sadly closed), Ntaba Maria, St Mary’s, the Seventh Day Adventist School, Amasango and the Holy Cross School all have Christian foundations.
The Reading Camp, which helps children with reading, is an initiative of the Order of the Holy Cross. The old Teachers Training College (now part of Rhodes University) was started and run by the Community of the Resurrection. Churches do leadership training and community development. Christians give reading and maths support at a number of local support initiatives. And, especially in our impoverished rural areas, the churches provide resources and training.
Then we have the numerous works of mercy: the House of Joy; the soup kitchen at the City Hall; the Sinikithemba feeding project up at St Augustine’s church in Joza; the Isibindi after-care project, also at St Augustine’s; the Orphans and Vulnerable Children project; the Raphael Aids Centre caring for those with HIV and Aids; paying for the children of a local car guard to attend university; soup kitchens; food parcels and pre-schools all supported by or run by churches.
There are also old age homes; the Hospice movement; Gadra, an organisation of hope for so many, which emerged through the vision of a few dedicated people of faith.
Christians (and others) provide care, comfort and support for the frail, the sick, the dying, the bereaved. Christians gather to acknowledge and mark the rites of passage common to us all: birth, growing up, celebrations, sadness, death. We encourage and practise care for the environment as part of our stewardship for all of creation. We teach and practice good citizenship, in our commitment to ethical, honest behaviour, a code of conduct and our respect for life.
We have acts of protest in the name of justice – groups like the Black Sash and organisations such as Legal Aid – Christians have been and are there. We have acts of resistance; the many Christians, together with those of other faiths, who worked and struggled for change and a new South Africa.
We are among the voices for justice, defending the poor and weak against the powerful and the corrupt. We stand in the gap, together with others, to guard our constitution, to safeguard democracy and freedom of speech.
We work for reconciliation and understanding across society’s barriers and divides. We have a network of relationships with communities across the world. We aim to love one another, and we aim to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We are a community of belonging. We are wounded healers, acknowledging our broken-ness, wanting to be peacemakers, deeply committed to justice.
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden…. Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16).
