Message given at the South African Auditor & Training Certification Authority (SAATCA) 20th Annual Conference at the CSIR on 16 August 2017.

 

I stand at your gate, Madam,

On time, 07h30

Saturday

As requested.

It’s cold.

It’s taken time.

2 hours to be exact,

To wake, to wash to walk.

Taxi 1, Bus 1, Taxi 2,

To walk.

At your gate,

07h30,

Saturday,

On time.

As requested.

Your convenience,

Madam.

But you forgot.

You are sleeping,

Your phone is off,

What must I do?

Shout?

Will you hear?

Hundreds of years of frustration,

Servant servitude

At your gate.

07h30

Saturday

On time.

Waiting for you to wake up.

Change is coming

For you

For me,

But I suspect,

That while your colour may change,

I will still be at your gate

Waiting for you to wake up

But you, Madam

Will still be sleeping!

But I am, Madam

On time.

 

Note: The above poem, surprisingly, was discussed on a CliffCentral. Select option “At Your Gate” at the following link and  listen to discussion here.

And then as a follow-up I went into the studio and was interviewed. Select option “A  Gate in Time” at the following link and  listen to discussion here.

 

For more information have a look at the James 1:27 Trust site: http://www.james127trust.org

Corrections: The James 1:27 Trust is now starting to run its HCM off OrangeHR and not off SuccessFactors as mentioned. The United Nations Conventions of the Rights of a Child have 42 Articles, not 40, with an additional 12 (articles 43 to 54) dedicated to implementing measures.

 

 

I recently had the privilege of traveling with Dave Rees to the Barnabas Groups of Dr Michael Cassidy from African Enterprise.  The above message is a summary of the message I brought to the Cape Town, George, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Bloemfontein groups.  The contents of the message are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs and opinion of  Dr Cassidy, African Enterprise or any of the more than 200 diverse Barnabas group members.

 

EFF pats itself on the back after painting Soweto red

Source of image: http://www.news24.com/elections/news/eff-pats-itself-on-the-back-after-painting-soweto-red-20160501

When we fail to invest in the social problems of our society because we are too busy protecting our privilege and defending our comfort the enemy will come in the night, promising hope, and steal the dream of all of our children. In time they will find out that it was a fake hope and their nightmare will begin. We have to ask why have we not encouraged the good and brave to join the political discourse. Why have we been so apathetic? Can we not see the times are changing and the opportunity to defend what was secured through great sacrifice may be lost? What we need is to tell the green yellow black and blue to grow up and start acting like leaders of a great nation. The sea of red is growing!  We must decide to believe in the dream and let the dreamer manage the risk of the nightmare. We must understand that the Gospel is the Good News! The Kingdom of God is near. The Kingdom is about righteousness peace and joy. Righteousness is about right relationships. It is about justice including social Justice. Right relationships in society. About equity and fairness. About sharing the second tunic. About access to hope!. We must ask ourselves what we must do to facilitate access to hope. The time to pontificate has passed. Once we have the downgrade to junk status rising inflation will do what propaganda cannot do. It will bring about rapid social movements. We are facing either a social reformation or revolution. I am reminded that the definition of faith is the substance of that which is hoped for the evidence not yet seen! The distilled question is what movement are we going to join? Reformation or revolution  or maybe we will by default join the movement of apathy and indifference. A movement that lies caught in the jaws of revolution.