A Response to Afriphobia

Think about an abusive husband, dad or wife, mother. That has just become a “familiar-stranger” to his/her kids and spouse. Think about his or her violent abusive attitude that has separated him/her from their loved ones. Think about the impact, the loss of trust, the loss of love and the loss of parenting. Think about the value of relationship that has been broken, the need for reconciliation and healing. When this individual starts to ponder and reflect on his /her life and in the process encounters God, he/she might be compelled to ask for forgiveness from his/her family. This process of initiating forgiveness, and being vulnerable about one’s state of heart, might paralyse the loved ones and seek genuine reconciliation. Thus begins the journey of transformation. Personal transformation, leads to community transformation.

Isn’t it remarkable in the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus does not give a straightforward answer to the question “Who is my neighbour?” (Lk.10:29). Surely Jesus could have provided a catalogue of those who the scribe could love as himself as the law required. But he does not. Instead, he tells a story. It is as if Jesus wanted among other things to point out that life is a bit more complex, it has too many ambivalences and ambiguities to always allow for a straightforward and simplistic answer.

In the same way, Afrophobia (some call it “Xenophobia”) is one issue that is complicated, that cannot be addressed with simplistic methodologies (or answers). It requires a joint effort/approach that values and respect the ‘other’ as a brother or sister.

Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice co-authored a book called: Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing. Their societal observation cannot be easily ignored. This is what they say: “even in a deeply divided world, even in the most deeply divided relationship, the way things are is not the way things have to be” (2010). Somehow, beneath this statement lies both a dissatisfaction about the imbalances and division (created probably by the system we find ourselves in) on the one hand, and a positive and hopeful gesture of both reconciling and transforming all things, a posture of a deep longing for God’s kingdom on earth now, on the other.

This brings us back to Jesus’ question: who is my neighbour? I think, even the word neighbour can be misleading at times. Perhaps we have lost the true meaning of the word. I stay and work in Windsor, Johannesburg, and I often come across different and many so-called “African foreigners” (my brothers and sisters). Can I truly say they are my neighbours? Of course yes! Perhaps, we should add the “God reflection humanity” with the word neighbour. Then, words like stranger, the K-word, cockroach (in Rwanda), might somehow disappear in our vocabulary. These are dehumanising words. They dehumanise this beautiful reflection of God that is in us.

Even in a deeply cultural, religious, ethnic, racial, gender and political community, the way things should be is to celebrate that diversity through genuine love, the one that approaches the “different” other as the bearer of God’s image (Imago Dei). So, look carefully at your nearest God reflection person. You might discover something refreshingly new and very interesting about him/her, and that something is their unique story. We find ourselves wrapped up in each other’s stories without realising that it is the story of God that shapes our understanding of humanity. Desmond Tutu would call this Ubuntu.