Vir wie se groen weivelde lewe jy?

‘n Paar dae terug op News24 se webblad het ‘n skrywer ‘n baie uitlokkende artikel geskryf getiteld, “What if the grass is really greener on the other side?” Die artikel handel oor die groot vraag waarmee baie Suid Afrikaners worstel – is dit nog die moeite werd om in SA te bly, of sal dit beter wees om eerder groener weivelde elders te gaan soek? Die skrywer, wat klaar hierdie vraag vir homself geantwoord het en wat al vir die laaste jaar of wat in Australie bly, het die volgende redes gegee om sy eksodus te regverdig:

“Why would it be better here? One needn’t look far. I drove over 500km yesterday. I paid no toll fees. Not a single pothole. The water out the tap tastes great. It took two minutes to connect my electricity, which has not failed in four months. Insurance for my car cost R2 500 for a whole year, comprehensive. My house has no burglar bars. It doesn’t even have a fence. We walked to the beach at midnight and made a bonfire. No one raped or killed us. We leave the front door unlocked. Getting a tax number is a 10-minute process. I pay an effective tax rate of 23%; for that, I get public parks, public toilets with loo paper and liquid soap in them, public MTB parks, healthcare (no medical aid necessary), security. A typical courthouse is an architectural wonder, not a filthy fleapit. The streets are clean, the verges trimmed, the parks mowed – and children play on the jungle gyms and other equipment in there. By my calculations, my cost of living has come down by some R12 000 since moving to where I now find myself.”

Op die oog af blyk die feite op die tafel oorweldigend…Moet ons nie maar ook ons goed vat en na die groener weivelde van Australie of Amerika trek nie? Die kort antwoord op hierdie vraag is egter n defnitiewe “NEE”. En die REDE het alles te doen moet hoe ‘n mens ‘n ander, en meer belangrikke vraag beantwoord – “Vir wie se groen weivelde lewe jy?”

Jy sien, die skrywer van hierdie artikel se aaname is dat die lewe daaroor gaan dat n mens jou eie koninkryk in die groenste van weivelde moet probeer bou. Maar in sterk kontras met hierdie mens-gesentreerde gesindheid van ons tyd, is die Bybel baie duidelik daaroor dat ‘n Christen ‘n persoon is wat eerder vir ‘n ander koninkryk lewe en werskaf, en dit is die Koninkryk van God (Mt 6:10; Fil 3:20). Vir watter een van hierdie twee koninkryke ‘n mens lewe, maak AL die verskil in hoe n mens die groeipyne van Suid Afrika hanteer en verwerk.

In ‘n uitstekende artikel genaamd, “Why I would die for South Africa”, skryf Michelle Cantrell: “We stay because Jesus calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves. We stay because we are not here by accident and we have hope that the gospel can transform South Africa. We stay because we are convinced that a legacy of self-sacrifice and pure devotion to Christ on the front lines is the best gift we can give to our children. We stay because we are willing to die to see the gospel advance in this strategic country…We stay because we are called to South Africa. When you are called, no promise of greater security or comfort can lure you away. You are free to enjoy all the beauties of South Africa without constantly wondering if it is time to abandon ship. How do we know that we are called to South Africa? Because this is the place where we can be most useful in God’s harvest field. This is the place where our talents can best be multiplied for the Master until He returns (Matt. 25). This is the place where we find the greater blessing of giving rather than receiving (Acts 20:35). This is the place where we can raise our children to be true self-denying Christ-followers. Unless He calls us somewhere more difficult, this is where we will stay–to live and even die for South Africa.”

So, vir wie se groener weivelde lewe jy?

• Vir die Newd 24 artikelhttp://www.news24.com/MyNews24/YourStory/What-if-the-grass-really-is-greener-20110415
• Vir Michelle Cantrell se artikel: http://storage.cloversites.com/ligpunt1/documents/why_i_would_die_for_south_africa.pdf