I heard on the radio yesterday something I’ve heard before — that many black folks in South Africa believe that reconcilliation is a one-way street — that blacks have forgiven whites for the evils of the past, but white people have done nothing towards being reconciled with black folks.
I wondered, is this true? Have they really forgiven white folks? It is quite possible that white folks are not doing their bit, but are these folks right about the first part? Are they being honest? Have they become the friends of white sinners and received nothing in return?
I don’t think this is true. There is something that we have not seen from black people towards white people: evangelism. When you are reconciled to someone, you begin to treat them as a person, and you share things that are important with them so that it will go well with them. If you believe in the gospel, and you really love someone, you share the gospel with them. What are the black Christians doing?
Back in the dark days of apartheid, most white Christians did precious little to share the gospel with their black countrymen. This was because, by and large, they didn’t love them as they should have, and it shows that they absorbed apartheidthink. However, despite these persistent non-efforts there are Christian churches among black people.
Now, what efforts are these folks making to share the wonderful message of reconcilliation with the light-skinned sinners that formerly mismanged the country? If there was a feeling of forgiveness towards white folks, would black churches not be making an effort to share the gospel of forgiveness with white people that they are forgiving? Are we to believe that black churches are in such a parlous state that they feel no need of spreading the gospel? Are they isolated from the community, and have somehow missed out on all this forgiveness that is floating around?
When will we hear about black folks harrassing the proud white folks, and telling them to turn or burn? When will we hear about cross-cultural missionaries praying for the salvation of the white savages, and that they will repent of their evil ways?
I’m waiting to hear of it.
