"Blood in the streets
Children without their fathers
Mothers fighting for their families
Fighting to survive
Fighting just to get bread on the table"
Rowyn Coetzee
Anyone who really knows me knows that I am not racist at all. In actual fact I have friends across the borders of culture and race. Really, really awesome people I must add. However, in this blog post I will be speaking on behalf of my so called "coloured" community and from that perspective. These experiences will be shared out of personal engagement or witness.
As I journey with new people I meet in my life, the well known question usually pops up. "So Rowyn, which area did you grow up in?". Me thinking, "Well, I think I lost count after number 20...". Life was unstable man. My dad was not fully present in many of the areas of fatherhood. I do not blame him for this. However, this has contributed to a lot of the unstability within my family. This journey as a child felt lonely.
You knew which families had money or resources by the stationery the kids brought to school. Some of us sat back coveting our classmates' privileges. Others took the iniative to take what they desired. I did not understand that to have resources for school was going to be a privilege. I thought we deserved to have these resources because getting through school was important. So we grew up with the mindset that there is only enough or there might be enough. We walked into shops with intentions to purchase what we needed, and we ended up putting down those items to buy other items based on priority. You see, our brains were moulded to look at life as a journey of striving. So we ended up fighting, because no one would fight for us.
As I zoom out today gazing upon the coloured community, I look at a people who is broken, hurting and in so much need. From Apartheid to the present time, we have been looked over, disregarded and somewhat ignored. Our opinions were too cheap, our finances were too low and we were just very free spirited. As much as we want to live in the perspective that we are non-racial in South Africa, we are still pushed and unspokenly categorised as the lesser ones.
We are propbably the most violent, disorderly and rebelious bunch of people ever. But I see a people who is courageously bold, ambitious in times of struggle, tenacious and very much different. However, because of a strong history of brokenness we end up perverting our strengths to hurt those around us, even the ones closest to us. Brothers end up killing brothers. Gangsters fight over territory. Women are abused, raped and left unprotected.
This has been culture for so long and culture takes time to change. Many of us, if not all, has accepted this sad state of hopeless living as "normal", but it is everything but normal. We see violence in our communities spiral and we end up only but talking about the issues and sending voicenotes around about how gunshots are sounding off in Lavender Hill. We stand back and say, "Ai, shame, we must pray for Lavender Hill', but nothing is done. Instead of being proactive as a nation or a city, we end up having communities such as Lavender Hill and Hanover Park as a hot topic on our lips for a day or two. This is extremely sad.
A few years ago, my family and I had to move into a street called Beethoven Street in Retreat. We were told that you could hear the gunshots in Lavender Hill from Beethoven street. This woman who shared this with us spoke as if this was quite normal. She was just politely informing us. At that moment as I noticed her normality about this subject I thought that I will never get used to that picture, or in this case that noise. But a few months passed by and hearing gunshots was just a very real part of life, and it felt really normal.
Where does this leave us as a city? Where does this leave us as a church within Cape Town?
In retrospect, does fighting about politics or about someone's immature tweet compare to the real issues that we face as a seemingly rainbow nation. We speak about the celebration of how South Africa has been restored racially and culturally through what the late Nelson Mandela has fought for along with so many others who died in the fight, but Apartheid still lives and breathes in the shadows of a broken nation.
I am 25, a coloured young man who is passionate about leadership. I don't have much. I literally fought to get my driver's licence. Jesus literally blessed me with a car free of charge. I sit back and my heart aches as I look at my people. I know God has been faithful till this moment, but when will the people realise their worth? When will my people realise that they are worth more than just sharing a bread between a family of six or worth more than walking to school with broken shoes and socks.
We deserve more. We deserve it all.
As depressing as this blogpost might be, I only speak truth. But I believe in every generation God raises leaders who are the light in the darkness. Some of these leaders end up tired and weary, while others fight to be the greatest master of leadership to help those around them. If we closely take a look in the darkness, there are those who are standing and fighting. The coloured mammas who pray in their homes for their communities. The radical young people who preaches on the trains. The businessmen who invest into schools to help build computer rooms and science labs. The single mothers who raises their children with all they have to offer, even when they are hopelessly tired. These are the real heroes.
My prayer is as you read this blogpost, that you will be inpsired to make somewhat of a difference in your community. Our community lacks great role models who will stand in the day of trial and speak hope boldly and consistently! Let the heroes of our day arise! Go in your strength just as the Lord God told Gideon.
Like my page on Facebook: Rowyn Coetzee
IG: @rocoetzee
You knew which families had money or resources by the stationery the kids brought to school. Some of us sat back coveting our classmates' privileges. Others took the iniative to take what they desired. I did not understand that to have resources for school was going to be a privilege. I thought we deserved to have these resources because getting through school was important. So we grew up with the mindset that there is only enough or there might be enough. We walked into shops with intentions to purchase what we needed, and we ended up putting down those items to buy other items based on priority. You see, our brains were moulded to look at life as a journey of striving. So we ended up fighting, because no one would fight for us.
As I zoom out today gazing upon the coloured community, I look at a people who is broken, hurting and in so much need. From Apartheid to the present time, we have been looked over, disregarded and somewhat ignored. Our opinions were too cheap, our finances were too low and we were just very free spirited. As much as we want to live in the perspective that we are non-racial in South Africa, we are still pushed and unspokenly categorised as the lesser ones.
We are propbably the most violent, disorderly and rebelious bunch of people ever. But I see a people who is courageously bold, ambitious in times of struggle, tenacious and very much different. However, because of a strong history of brokenness we end up perverting our strengths to hurt those around us, even the ones closest to us. Brothers end up killing brothers. Gangsters fight over territory. Women are abused, raped and left unprotected.
This has been culture for so long and culture takes time to change. Many of us, if not all, has accepted this sad state of hopeless living as "normal", but it is everything but normal. We see violence in our communities spiral and we end up only but talking about the issues and sending voicenotes around about how gunshots are sounding off in Lavender Hill. We stand back and say, "Ai, shame, we must pray for Lavender Hill', but nothing is done. Instead of being proactive as a nation or a city, we end up having communities such as Lavender Hill and Hanover Park as a hot topic on our lips for a day or two. This is extremely sad.
A few years ago, my family and I had to move into a street called Beethoven Street in Retreat. We were told that you could hear the gunshots in Lavender Hill from Beethoven street. This woman who shared this with us spoke as if this was quite normal. She was just politely informing us. At that moment as I noticed her normality about this subject I thought that I will never get used to that picture, or in this case that noise. But a few months passed by and hearing gunshots was just a very real part of life, and it felt really normal.
Where does this leave us as a city? Where does this leave us as a church within Cape Town?
In retrospect, does fighting about politics or about someone's immature tweet compare to the real issues that we face as a seemingly rainbow nation. We speak about the celebration of how South Africa has been restored racially and culturally through what the late Nelson Mandela has fought for along with so many others who died in the fight, but Apartheid still lives and breathes in the shadows of a broken nation.
I am 25, a coloured young man who is passionate about leadership. I don't have much. I literally fought to get my driver's licence. Jesus literally blessed me with a car free of charge. I sit back and my heart aches as I look at my people. I know God has been faithful till this moment, but when will the people realise their worth? When will my people realise that they are worth more than just sharing a bread between a family of six or worth more than walking to school with broken shoes and socks.
We deserve more. We deserve it all.
As depressing as this blogpost might be, I only speak truth. But I believe in every generation God raises leaders who are the light in the darkness. Some of these leaders end up tired and weary, while others fight to be the greatest master of leadership to help those around them. If we closely take a look in the darkness, there are those who are standing and fighting. The coloured mammas who pray in their homes for their communities. The radical young people who preaches on the trains. The businessmen who invest into schools to help build computer rooms and science labs. The single mothers who raises their children with all they have to offer, even when they are hopelessly tired. These are the real heroes.
My prayer is as you read this blogpost, that you will be inpsired to make somewhat of a difference in your community. Our community lacks great role models who will stand in the day of trial and speak hope boldly and consistently! Let the heroes of our day arise! Go in your strength just as the Lord God told Gideon.
Like my page on Facebook: Rowyn Coetzee
IG: @rocoetzee
Beautiful Rowy!
ReplyDeleteomw rowen this blog is so amazing, known you since primary into high school and i am amazed by the person you have become!!!no words can describe how proud i am of you
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