Catching up part 14

February 17, 2012 Sunday

Went to Founders Church with Ayana and Cheryl.


New pastor, Ayana, and Rev. Dr. Cheyl Dibeela in front of Founder's Memorial Congregational Church



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I have now had three distinctly different worship experiences in three different churches; one settlement, one suburb and one exburb (I don't know what to call it- it wasn't either city or suburban). They were in what would have formerly been under apartheid  black, white, and coloured areas. 

But when I look at people I just see shades not colors, and I am not sure if that is good or naive- probably both.  I know I will learn more and more about myself and others, and that is what it is all about.  I know I must look very "different" in most of the places I go, since I am obviously very white and a foreigner in speech and dress, but I forget, and have not felt that way.  I am also aware that I happen to have the color of skin that was privileged. 

There have been places where I felt very warmly welcomed and places where I felt like a stranger, but I attribute that to being new- and the way I have felt in most places where I am new, and not the color of my skin.  So I have to keep self-aware, observant and open to the experience and the people, one at a time, which is the only way you can truly meet people, one at a time from their perspective and life story, and it is sacred and special and an honor and privilege to do so.  And if I approach each situation that way, then people may eventually be able to meet me just as I am, not white or a US citizen, or a woman, or a pastor, or a missionary, or a stranger, just me.

I went to the Jozi Film Festival yesterday with Cheryl and Ayana and Cheryl's daughter Loreto (it means love) and boyfriend Prince. (actually one movie- Johannesburg, SA independent films).  I don't know if or where it will be distributed but it was very good.  Loboba -(may have spelled it wrong).  We enjoyed it but agreed there is hyperbole in the interest of emphasizing the point about the tradition of "bride price".  It seems to me that once upon a time it was more a show of respect, and an exchange between families of valuable things, including their children to cement the relationship between families and to support the new couple. The movie is also a commentary about relationships between blacks and Afrikaaners and prejudice and stereotypes in general. Anyway, made me laugh and cry so I thought it was good.

"Coloured" here means mixed race- though that has been used for many different "mixes," it seems to be primarily white and black, because if you were white and another ethnicity you would be lumped in with that ethnicity- Malaysians or Indians for example- it is all very confusing and seems very arbitrary which was the whole point of Apartheid- if you weren't "pure white" you got classified so you could be excluded.  It appears that South Africa is still very much in the struggle about skin color, as is the United States I might add.  Their struggle is just more recent and more compressed in time and complicated/aided by technology and global communications (we have 200 years of independence and 100 years post slavery and they have 20- and we think we have to deal with rapid change!).

We also watched the comedian Trevor Noah and I only missed a few of the more South African, Johannesburg references so I am catching on to more of what is happening here.  Cheryl and Prince's son made lunch and it was delicious!

Tomorrow Leon from the UCCSA office is going to pick me up and take me somewhere- it is a surprise.  He has been driving me to and from the office and to all the places I have been.

I go between peaceful and content to be here and exhausted and impatient with waiting.  I feel like I lost the momentum for moving and so I am a little concerned I will not be "up" for the task.  On the other hand these two weeks have allowed me to rest and decompress and get used to being in a new place without any permanent connections, and that will probably be useful for being less anxious about missing home and meeting new people and situations.  I certainly have had to learn to go with the flow and let go of having control over anything (which is an illusion anyway right?!)

In the end I came home and collapsed after a fun day. Thanks Ayana and Cheryl and Tumi and Loreto and Prince!  I did forget to drink a lot of water today and I learned my lesson!