"Look in my eyes. Do you hear? Listen to your country.... this is it. This is our destiny!!!!"
I recently watched "Invictus", a compelling movie based on the true recent events encouraging the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Love the movie. However, I got to the scene when the Boks were in playing the AllBlacks for the rugby world cup and heard Francois Pienaar say the words above I was compelled to think of Hebrews 12:1-3.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."
Do you hear them? Are you listening? We have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, just as South Africaans surrounded their beloved Springboks back in 1995. I am a very visual person, so when I saw this representation of those looking on with eager expectation, cheering for those fighting for what they believed in I went straight back in my mind to these verses. I don't even think to listen for them- chearing me on, encouraging me not to give up or give in to the agony of the race. It's not an easy path we have chosen or been called to- it's one of self denial and of purpose. Of Truth. Of great importance. As we run, as we fight, we encourage those watching us here to run and fight with us. Alongside us as brothers and sisters. Looking at our Captain. Are you with Him?
I was going through some older musings of mine and stumbled on this one. I was once again spurred on as I hope you will be also.
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"Shosholoza, Shosholoza Ku lezontaba Stimela siphum' Rhodesia. Shosholoza, Shosholoza Ku lezontaba. Stimela siphum' Rhodesia. Wen' uyabaleka Wen' uyabaleka Ku lezontaba. Stimela siphum' Rhodesia!"
This song, sung by the crowd during the game is significant in that it's a call out for those burdended by the mine work in Zimbabwe- the late Rhodesia. They worked countless hours as slaves in the mines of Zimbabwe and this song was a call to freedom and perserverance. The rough transaltions says, "Move fast on those mountains train from Rhodesia.You are running away on those mountains train from Rhodesia." It was a call for the next man, the next generation. They were moving away from slavery, moving towards freedom. Leaving the old and calling out for the next generation to have a better life than they did. The migrants from Rhodesia sang this as they left their country and migrated to South Africa. They knew it would still be a hard life, but they were willing to fight for it because they knew it was worth it. A life shaped by hardship as a free man was far better than a life of hardship as a slave in a mine.
So we as Christians have a song we sing as we leave our old life of slavery and look forward to the new life of freedom. While we know there will be hardship and trials. We go. We follow. We sing for joy. We know that a life faced with hardship, sadness, discouragement, exhaustion, and sometimes agony is worth it, for we are free from the bondage of sin. We are not alone and hopeless as we once were. We live with the hope that we may,
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
We have a new Leader. One that leads us to unity and victory. Will we fight with and for Him?
