We are all God’s Children by Patrick Cunningham

Since coming to Cape Town we have encountered religion in many different ways. After talking with many of the local people, it has become apparent that religion is a very important thing to the people of South Africa. In a conversation that I had with one of our tour guides, Chris, he estimated that the percentage of people that were Christian was around 85% followed by a large Muslim community, and then various other religious traditions, including Judaism, Hinduism, and many more. When I asked him the reason for such dedication and spirituality, he said that when people have nothing, like many of the South Africans, they at least have their faith.

Today we had our first extended experience in one of the townships on the outskirts of Cape Town. This township is a predominately black township called Langa. Living conditions in Langa are not anything like what we are used to in the United States. The houses are very small and closely packed together, many with metal roofs that make the hot days even hotter. As we walked the streets we were greeted by tons of smiling children. Many of these children followed us all the way to our destination while holding our hands and posing for our cameras. Poverty is a part of their way of life and many of these children will spend their entire lives in Langa like their parents before them

This was evident from the moment that we stepped into the Baptist church in Langa. We were warmly greeted by the church goers and directed to our seats in the back where we watched the service. I was enthralled by the energy of the church with its music, pastor, and congregants. The role and importance of the church became clear immediately: to provide a source of light, hope, and empowerment for the people. The sermon was about conquering difficulties in life, not giving up on yourself, and holding tightly to the things that are most important to you. The pastor delivered this message with great energy and excitement and the people of the congregation responded with that same enthusiasm. As we left the church, we as students could not help but be energized by the sermon and message. The church so evidently is a major source of hope and uplift for the people. It is clear in the way they sang, danced, and shouted all throughout the service. Many of these people rely on God to get through each day. In Kaffir Boy, a book we read for class, the main character’s mother was another example of a woman who clung to the promises of faith and hope in a higher power. This faith is often the reason for their hope, perseverance, forgiveness, and is most likely a major contributor to the theme of reconciliation that is so prominent throughout South Africa.

Although this was only one example of the religious life in South Africa, other experiences have demonstrated similar themes. Most importantly, I have noticed the level of religious tolerance that exists. On two separate occasions, we had close interactions with South African Muslims. First, we ate at a restaurant in the Muslim district of town. There, we heard from one of the employees who talked about how we are all God’s children. After that, we went to the District Six museum where we heard from Noor, a Muslim man whose family was removed from District Six along with the rest of the community. He spoke of how District Six was occupied by people of all races, religions, and beliefs. However, despite these differences, the people of District Six loved one another and lived well with one another because they were all God’s children. I found that I heard this phrase repeated often throughout my travels and experiences and I am beginning to believe that these people truly love and value one another despite religious or cultural differences because they truly believe that they are all children of God. They are all part of the same human race.

After my experiences with the religious culture in South Africa I cannot help but wonder what lessons the United States, and other Western cultures, could take from their faith. In this sense, I am not necessarily referring to a faith in a Christian god or Muslim god, but faith in general. One of the pastors from St. George’s Cathedral came to speak to us before we ate and he reminded us of the importance of faith. To me, it seems that, at the very least, faith in humankind is something that we should strive for in the States. This is something that could bring us to a point where differences in religious belief dont create hostility and tension. But how do we learn from our South African brothers and sisters and grow from this point forward?