Each sandwich they receive, each blanket that gets them through the cold winter, and every kind word spoken to them. Through these interactions, it’s humbling to hear their hearts of gratitude towards God. The amazing thing about being surrounded by a community with a heart for the impoverished and lost is that you get to interact with people you wouldn’t have on your own accord. From social justice teams at church that support organizations in the area-and organize regular outreaches in the community-to humanitarian efforts aimed at restoring dignity. Thankfully, I’m a part of a church and team (CBN) that has a huge heart for people. I’ve realized how easy it is to harden your heart towards them, it becomes so normal to see and dismiss, and starts infringing on your safety as crime increases as the economy declines. In the suburb of Cape Town where I live, homelessness increased at an alarming rate with people setting up tents and other temporary structures on the sides of the road, in parks and in storm water pipes. In a country already battling with crime and poverty, more unemployment is something we really don’t need. In South Africa, the pandemic caused unemployment rates to rise rapidly ( Trading Economics, 2022).
And on top of all of that, we each have personal situations that aren’t always easy. Countries are going through their own political turmoil. The Ukraine-Russia war is causing rising prices worldwide. The pandemic raging across the globe has caused loss of life, loss of livelihoods, and the devastation of economies. Simply put, these past few years haven’t been great for everyone. How do we, despite what may be going on in our lives and our communities, adopt an attitude of rejoicing in Him, regardless of circumstance?
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