riviersonderend

‘n Paar stories wat die afgelope sewe dae in die nuus was:

Jesus staan uit sy Joodse graf op: After two thousand years in a dark corner it seems that Jesus is making something of a comeback in the Jewish world. Not in a Christian, proselytizing “Jews for Jesus” manner, but as a historical figure, decidedly unchristian, who needs to be reassessed as a player in the Jewish tradition. In recent years the job of reclaiming Jesus has gone on in both low and high culture.

Wat maak jy as jou naam Randall Tobias is en jy is George Bush se “VIGS-tsaar”? Natuurlik vertel jy vir mense hulle moet verkieslik nie seks hê as hulle nie getroud is nie. Dit is nie wat Jesus wil hê nie. So hoekom is hy in die nuus? Hy het nét ‘n paar masserings gehad. Hy glo mos nie in kondome nie, sien.

Wat doen dominee Praveen Bunyan as hy nie gays veroordeel vir hulle perversiteite nie en sy Anglikaanse kerk onder die Ugandese kerk se toesig plaas? Hy bedank oor “inappropriate conduct” met ‘n vrou in sy kerk. Was seks betrokke? Seker nie.

Bly jy in Iran? Wel, dan is Westerse haarstyle uit. Mans mag ook nie met hulle wenkbroue lol nie. Blykbaar is metroseksualiteit onislamities. Dit is jammer. President Ahmadinejad kan doen met ‘n extreme makeover.

In Istanboel, Turkye, betoog honderde duisende mense vir ‘n sekulêre republiek. Die land se moontlike volgende president is blykbaar te Islamities.

Kom ons vergeet vir ‘n oomblik van die waarde wat die wêreld se groot geloofstradisies het vir mense in hulle binnekamers en by plekke van aanbidding. Ek wonder watse waarde dit kan hê om die wêreld ‘n beter plek vir almal te maak.

Mense verskil. Mense diskrimineer ook by uitstek teen ander mense op grond van waargenome verskille. Umberto Eco (Five Moral Pieces, pp. 23-24) skryf oor die vergrype van mens teen mens:

Why is it then that there are or have been cultures that approve of massacre, cannibalism, or the humiliation of the bodies of others? Simply because such cultures restrict the concept of “others” to the tribal community (or the ethnic group) and consider “barbarians” to be nonhumans; but not even the Crusaders felt that unbelievers were fellowmen worthy of an excessive degree of love. The fact is that the recognition of the roles of others, the necessity to respect in them those requirements we consider essential for ourselves, is the product of thousands of years of development. Even the Christian commandment to love was enunciated, and laboriously accepted, only when the time was ripe.

Ek glo vas dat ons in die wêreld alleen kan vordering maak deur gedurig ons definisie van “ons groep” aan te pas en te verruim. Kan gelowe wat dogmas bou op “ons” en “hulle”, en afhanklik is vir hulle bestaan van die instandhouding van die skeidslyne, dus ‘n bydra lewer om ‘n beter, mensliker toekoms te verseker?

I was dead, then alive.
Weeping, then laughing.

The power of love came into me,
and I became fierce like a lion,
then tender like the evening star.

He said, “You’re not mad enough.
You don’t belong in this house.”

I went wild and had to be tied up.
He said, “Still not wild enough
to stay with us!”

I broke through another layer
into joyfulness.

He said, “It’s not enough.”
I died.

He said, “You’re a clever little man,
full of fantasy and doubting.”

I plucked out my feathers and became a fool.
He said, “Now you’re the candle
for this assembly.”

But I’m no candle. Look!
I’m scattered smoke.

He said, “You are the sheikh, the guide.”
But I’m not a teacher. I have no power.

He said, “You already have wings.
I cannot give you wings.”

But I wanted his wings.
I felt like some flightless chicken.

Then new events said to me,
“Don’t move. A sublime generosity is
coming toward you.”

And old love said, “Stay with me.”

I said, “I will.”

You are the fountain of the sun’s light.
I am a willow shadow on the ground.
You make my raggedness silky.

The soul at dawn is like darkened water
that slowly begins to say Thank you, thank you.

Then at sunset, again, Venus gradually
changes into the moon and then the whole nightsky.

This comes of smiling back
at your smile.

The chess master says nothing,
other than moving the silent chess piece.

That I am part of the ploys
of this game makes me
amazingly happy.

- Rumi, translated Coleman Banks

Waarheen gaan jy as jy wil lekker eet?

Kaap toe! Hoe dan anders?

The top five restaurants in the Africa and Middle East category on one of the most prestigious international restaurant lists are all in the Western Cape.

Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek), Bosman’s (Paarl), Jardine (Cape Town central city), Aubergine (Gardens) and Reuben’s (Franschhoek) were ranked in that order in the S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Africa and Middle East category.

Africa’s only entry in the top 50 worldwide was Le Quartier Francais, which came number 47.

Volledige berig hier beskikbaar.

Ek wonder wat beteken die term “vryheid van geloof” vir Christene? Ek bedoel nou nie net die vryheid om enige geloof te beoefen nie, maar ook die vryheid om geen geloof te beoefen nie.

Dikwels word daar sommer net aannames gemaak oor geloof en dat jy soos ek glo. Dit is veral waar in die agtergrond waaruit kom. As jy wit is, en Afrikaans praat, word daar net aangeneem dat jy ‘n Christen is.

Dit kan soms tot ongemaklike situasies aanleiding gee. Ek sou hoop “vryheid van geloof” beteken nie net om iemand anders se reg te erken om anders te wees nie, maar om ook nie net aan te neem dat mense met ‘n gedeelde agtergrond ook jou geloof deel nie.

Dit kan soveel misverstande en ongemaklike situasies vermy.