One day after the east coast earthquake and two days before hurricane Irene, I slipped out of the U.S. to begin my three and a half month journey in South Africa. I left my house in Illinois early on Thursday morning, and twenty-eight hours later arrived in Johannesburg.
En route to South Africa I experienced a growing sense of excitement. During the seventeen hour flight I spent a good deal of time reading the work of Steve Biko – a renowned South African author and political activist who was murdered in the struggle against Apartheid. The following quote struck me:
“The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa – giving the world a more human face” (Steve Biko, I Write What I Like).
Heading into my time in South Africa, I am asking my awesome God to get me out of the way – my plans, expectations, and desires – in order that I may come in ready to learn from Him and the peoples of South Africa. I hope that as Steve Biko wrote, I may learn about what it means for the world to have a “more human face” . . . with the deep conviction that the ‘human face’ is merely an awareness and reflection of all peoples being created in the image of God.
