The Dirty Quiet Jesus

As the sun rises and a brilliant display of reds, pinks, and dark blues pierce the darkness, we are welcomed into another day. South Africa is awakening to the sounds of ocean swells and exotic birds singing songs of liberation, it’s a change our little community can smell in the air morning by morning. Thus as the massive sun engulfs the horizon we sense another baptism, another chance for love to give birth to hope and yet another fresh start for us all...


It’s hard to believe how fast that huge African sun moves up and down the horizon lines. We have been in South Africa nearly a whole month already and each day has shed more light on what the coming year will hold for us. We have spent much of the past month building into our own community - working on vision, strategy, prayer, fasting, healthy rhythms of missional life and the logistical shaping of the next year spent in the margins of society. God has been moving and speaking clearly and it’s been beautiful to witness his heart for the poor and needy.

We have also run headfirst into our witness and work here in Cape Town. Great connections have been built and are continuing to grow among a number of organizations and communities in the area. Having a long term Voice for the Voiceless office here in Cape Town has also really helped, seeing as much of the relational building blocks are already established. We mentioned in the last update that much of our effort these months will be focused on a township close by called Capricorn. We have spent much of the past month walking the trash filled streets, playing with street kids, starting bible study groups, praying for people and building relationships. Last Monday we also started what will be a weekly prayer vigil in the middle of Capricorn. It was a beautiful night of sharing, singing, and praying for the end of racism, poverty and HIV.


That night Diane meet a woman named Margaret who wandered by as we were singing. She joined our fellowship, sang and cried with us, and shared her story with Diane. Margaret is so alone. Her entire family has either left the area or passed away. Loneliness surrounds her life. When she stopped by our humble gathering she was on her way to find a place to sleep, along side the thousands of other homeless individuals in Capricorn making the migration, but she felt the need to stay and linger for a moment - the need to pray and love and share and live. Her presence directed our meager effort back to it’s purpose, for in Margaret we all met a Jesus few of us ever dare to meet. A suffering, loving, humble, quiet Jesus who sleeps in the dirt and welcomes us all to the Kingdom of God. As Diane held Margaret’s hands that night and prayed with her, the tears on both of their faces pointed the way to a common humanity. A common connection to the love of Christ witnessed in this little moment. Let us all pray for more and more moments like this...

{INVITATION}

We invite you all to join us in prayer for Capricorn every Monday morning. The six hour time difference should bring us to prayer at roughly the same time. Your prayers for the Voiceless of South Africa really make a difference. We invite you to pray on behalf of the thousands homeless individuals facing the chilling ocean winds every night. We invite you to pray for the end of racial segregation that breeds hatred and violence. Specifically, pray for the thousands of Zimbabwean refugees in Capricorn who face constant racial discrimination and live in daily fear of violent attacks by white and black South Africans alike. We invite you to pray for the end of drug abuse, domestic violence, and the rising HIV rate. We invite you to pray for the thousands of children who wander these streets parentless - easy prey for the Traffickers and Pimps. We invite you to pray for the brothels and exploitation of women and children to come to an end. We shall be meeting every Monday to pray as a witness to God’s love for this community. Let us make it a global cry. Come and join your voice in prayer for the Voiceless of Capricorn.