Sharielle and friends
Cape Town has easily become one of my favorite cities. Many times the images of Africa that come across American media are one of helplessness and despair. However, on first glance when someone walks around Cape Town, the images of Africa once seen on the evening news disappear and are replaced with images of European architecture and “sophistication”.
In spite of that, the beauty of South Africa does not lie in its European architecture, but in the soul and spirit of its people. The embodiment of this sprit was fully captured for me on Sunday, 23 January 2011, when we went to Sivuyile Baptist Church in Guguletu, a predominately Black township. It was in this church that people who came from the poorest communities could have an arena to just be. It was a moment of escape where their burdens could be placed at the altar and the walls of the church served as a form of solace. The pastor's words were robust with hope and promise of God's faithfulness and at any moment the expression of one could ignite song from another. Hearing the melodious harmony that escaped the mouths of the congregation, there rang out much more than musical notes. Behind their harmonies, was pain and hope all mixed into one. I could only wonder how the beauty of music and community fellowship helped South Africa overcome apartheid.
This form of call and response gave me a sense of optimism for South Africa. If this same spirit of community could transcend the walls of the church and permeate through townships, real social change could occur. This experience reinforced to me that the progression and development of a country should not be determined by the amount of Western buildings they erect, but by the communal ties that exist. For it is these community ties that further emphasize the value of ubuntu- I am because we are.
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