Picture this: The nicest 5-star resort that you can imagine right on a pristine beach in an absolutely gorgeous bay. Not a ten minute drive away from that, shacks that are thrown together of plywood, tin roofing, and other sorts of material like that.
That is what South Africa is, at least here where we are. We are in the Garden Route, which is the premier vacation spot in all of Africa. There are game reserves, 5- and 4-star resorts and hotels and all kinds of beach front activity. There are mountains, beaches, lakes, pretty much everything. Need I go on?
The dichotomy here is absolutely astounding. The people here are aware of the difference, but just complacent because thats all they’ve known. Their whole lives, they’ve only known the difference between rich whites and poor blacks, so the white people here don’t really do anything about the people barely making it in the townships.
I just can’t understand how vacationers can be here and not see the need for help in these communities. They can’t seemingly see past their own noses or past their own vacationing. Anyways, I cannot judge people for not opening their eyes because how many times have I never seen these things? How many times have I myself never seen past my own nose or whatever I was doing in the moment?
What can you say about yourself in this? How many times do you look past your own circumstances and look to others? How many times have you driven on a different road than normal and taken in what you saw around you? Have you ever not taken that road again so that you don’t have to see the people in hardships that live not ten minutes from you? I have done that very thing.
I wanna challenge the people reading this blog to reach out beyond your own circumstances to those who maybe are less fortunate or whatever and look for an opportunity to help them. That random person walking somewhere on the side of the road, stop and see if they need a lift…. I don’t know what it may look like in the moment, but I can assure that there are those who are in those kinds of situations in which no one seems to notice them or care about them. Be the one to reach out to them. Be the one to show the love of Christ to that person.
