Because we have yet another John 6 text with essentially the same words as before...I bring you an article from two German journalists who converted to Christianity while living in South Africa. It speaks to Jesus as the true bread from heaven:
Note, if I were translating this professionally I would pay much more attention to the tenses of the verbs. Germans do this a bit differently than English speakers.
"You really believe in the Bible?"
By Elke Naters and Sven Lager;
translated by Google and Pastor Rob Myallis
http://www.zeit.de/2012/32/Glaube-Suedafrika-Religion/seite-1
Zwei Berliner Schriftsteller gehen
nach Südafrika.Two writers from Berlin go to South Africa, not knowing exactly
what they seek. Und dann finden sie
Gott. And there they find God. Elke
Naters und Sven Lager erzählen, wie sie zu Christen wurden. Elke Naters and
Sven Leger tell how they became Christians. Eine moderne Erweckungsgeschichte. A modern revival story.
Neulich
beteten wir für einen sterbenskranken Bauarbeiter, der kurz darauf aus dem
Krankenhausbett aufstand, seinen Tropf in die Hand nahm, auf den Flur
hinauslief und rief: »Ich bin geheilt!The
other day we were praying for a terminally-ill construction worker. Soon afterwards, he got up from the hospital
bed, his medical drip bag in his hand, ran out into the hallway and said,
"I'm cured! Ich bin geheilt!«
I'm cured! "
Zur
gleichen Zeit erhielten wir einen erbosten Brief von einer deutschen Familie,
die eine Townshiptour gemacht hatte.At
the same time, we received an angry letter from a German family who had made a tour
of the poverty stricken townships in South Africa. Ob wir jemals ein Township betreten hätten, wie sonst könnten wir
als Schriftsteller das Elend dort bunt und lebensfroh beschreiben. As
journalists, we would have described the misery there, but colorfully and full
of life. Ihre Empörung machte uns
bewusst, was uns so selbstverständlich geworden war, dass wir es nicht mehr
bemerkten: eine geradezu aggressive positive Lebenseinstellung. Her
outrage made us realize something we had – something that had become so normal
for us that we did not realize it: an almost aggressively positive attitude.
We, along with our children, have lived in South Africa for seven years.
It was our decision to see the
light in the darkness of the world which brought us to faith. This belief
has to do with the transforming power of love.
Eight
years ago we lived in downtown Berlin. We were at a point in our life where there was a weariness spreading;
it was difficult to grasp. Was it Seasonal Affective Disorder? Typical artistic anxeities? A mid-life Crisis?
We
wondered whether this was all life had to offer: to write books, have kids, go for a drink.
A few frenzied nights, good movies and stimulating
conversations. And
so life passed us by - most of the time very pleasantly, without any particular
pain, but also without any particular depth.
There had to be
more than all this! Although we lived amid incomparable cultural
wealth, art, music and literature offered no answers. We were thirsty and hungry, but no matter what we used to “stuff”
ourselves, we were not satisfied.
Since we could not find anything deeper, we tried to go “wider.”
We sought more sun, friendlier people, more
cultural diversity and a more complete life. We thought about the
Mediterranean; Vancouver; or even California. But to our surprise
we ended up in South Africa. Our prejudices were
immediately confirmed when we drove past the shacks in the townships, which
dragged on endlessly. But it was damn beautiful this country. The expanse! The mountains next to the sea! The ice blue, ice-cold Atlantic! So
much uninhabited, undeveloped nature touched the hearts of us, the city people.
On a
warm January night, as we sat on a bench in the garden of Bougainvillea, the
moon rose and then stood for a moment on the mountain ridge. He then, as he pleased, rolled down and sank
into the sea. A peace came over us.
And we
knew we wanted to live here.
\We went lobster fishing, surfed
the wild Atlantic, climbed the mountains and got to know people, who reflected the
natural generosity of their country. Their life stories were a
couple of sizes larger than ours.
Take for example, the candy
seller in our children’s elementary school.
He began as a teacher, then been a mercenary in the Congo, followed by time
as a corn farmer, and later had his basket factory lost in a tropical cyclone.
Now he sells medicinal herbs, African
decorations and breeding parrots. Or, take Wilson
Salukazana. He was a bank clerk during
the apartheid era, is founder of a preschool, a whale whisperer, a mentor of
many fatherless in the township, king of the clan Hlubi, fundraiser, and with his
70 years, yet a tour guide.
Above all, a Christian.
It
did not take long before we realized was how much the people here influenced by
the Christian faith. Nelson Mandela’s rejection
of violence and his preaching forgiveness for the young democracy saved it from
civil war. Without Desmond Tutu and the Truth
Commission there never could have been the peace that enabled the victims to
overcome the trauma of apartheid and continue living. Forgiveness has always
been important in South African life. Unlike in our country. It is hard
to imagine that in Germany, a former Nazi would wash a former concentration
camp prisoner's feet, like the former South Africa’s security minister, Adrian
Vlok, had done for the churchman Chikane, whose poisoning he had commanded
during the apartheid era. Or the
mother of the young American Amy Biel, who was stoned to death in a township:
the killers, not only forgave, but also helped them to a better life.
Solche
Geschichten übermenschlicher Liebe sind in Südafrika an der Tagesordnung.Such stories of human love in South Africa are daily
occurances. Immer geht es um Vergebung,
Nächstenliebe, Ermutigung, Gemeinschaft. It is always about forgiveness,
compassion, encouragement and community. Hier hat der christliche Glaube noch eine soziale Kraft. Here the
Christian faith still has a social force. Keine sprengende, sondern eine vereinende. Not an explosive, but a
unifying one. Als unsere Kinder sich an
die neue Sprache gewöhnt und eingelebt hatten, erkrankte in ihrer Schule der
siebenjährige Zach an einem Gehirntumor. When our children had become
accustomed to the new language and settled, a seven-year classmate named Zach became
ill from a brain tumor. Die ganze
Nachbarschaft half, kochte, fuhr seine Brüder in die Schule und sammelte Geld
für die Mutter, damit sie möglichst viel Zeit bei ihm im Krankenhaus verbringen
konnte. The whole neighborhood helped cook, his brothers went to school
and raised money for the mother so she could spend as much time with him in the
hospital. Zach ist jetzt zwölf.
Zach is now twelve. Und Dutzende
Freunde stehen der Familie immer noch bei mit allem, was sie haben.
Dozens of family and friends are still in with everything they have. Das ist Jesus in Action. This is Jesus
in action.
TDer Glaube
der Südafrikaner ist radikaler als Punk oder RevolutionThe faith of
South Africans is more radical than punk or Revolution
Unter
Südafrikanern lernten wir einen Gott kennen, der in den Menschen lebt und nicht
in einem Kirchengebäude.Among South Africans, we got to know
a God who lives in the people and not in a church building. Einen persönlichen Gott, der Humor hat, der
liebt und den Menschen Zuversicht gibt. A personal God who has humor,
who loves and gives people confidence. Einen
Glauben, der radikaler ist als Punk, Kommunismus, Feminismus und jede
Revolution. A faith that is more radical than punk, communism, feminism,
and every revolution. Der Krankheit,
Rassen und Klassen überwindet. A faith that overcomes diseases, races
and classes. Einen gerechten Gott, der
es ablehnt, dass ein Prozent der Bevölkerung 50 Prozent des Profits
einstreicht, und der jedem jederzeit ein neues Leben anbietet. A just
God who refuses to one percent of the population to pocket 50 percent of the
profits. A God who at any time offers a
new life.
Jesus gab
sich gern mit Außenseitern ab und schien ständig mit seinen Jüngern Wein zu
trinken.Jesus did not hesitate to be with
outsiders. He also seemed to drink wine constantly
with his disciples. Vor 200 Jahren
taten die deutschen Missionare in Südafrika etwas Ähnliches. 200 years
ago, the German missionaries in South Africa did something similar. Sie brachten ehemaligen Sklaven Lesen,
Schreiben, Musizieren und ein Handwerk bei. They taught former slaves
reading, writing, music and handiwork skills. Sie führen heute noch basisdemokratische Kommunendörfer in allen
Teilen des Landes. They still lead grass-roots communities in villages
across the country. Auf uns wirken sie
wie wahr gewordene Utopien – und das hat uns zu Christen werden lassen.
To us they seem like utopia come true - and this has enabled us to become
Christians.
Seither
sehen wir die Kraft des Glaubens nicht nur in Südafrika.Since then, we see the power of faith not only in South
Africa. Der Amerikaner Shane Claiborne
zum Beispiel hat schon viele Jahre vor der Occupy-Bewegung 10.000 Dollar in
Münzen und kleinen Scheinen auf die Wall Street gekippt, und einen Tumult
verursacht, dass die Straße abgesperrt werden musste. The Americans,
Shane Claiborne, for example, has spilled -- many years before the Occupy movement
-- $ 10,000 in coins and small bills on Wall Street, and caused a commotion
that the street had to be shut off. Radikale
Großzügigkeit verschließt die Türen der Gier – so lautete seine christliche
Botschaft. Radical Generosity closes the doors of greed - that was his
Christian message.
In unserem
deutschen Freundeskreis wären wir auf mehr Verständnis gestoßen, wenn wir
Buddhisten, Veganer oder akoholabhängig geworden wären.Among our German friends, we would have been met with more
understanding if we had been Buddhists, vegans, or alcoholics. »Ihr glaubt echt an die Bibel?« – »Ja, wir
leben danach.« – »Also seid ihr Fundamentalisten? "You really
believe in the Bible" - "Yes, we live it" -. "So you are
fundamentalists? Wie Bush und die
Leute, die vor Abtreibungskliniken stehen?« – »Nein, aber wir glauben, dass
Jesus wiederauferstanden ist und in uns lebt.« »Ewiges Leben, Himmel und
Hölle?« – »Genau. Like (George) Bush and the people who are closing
abortion clinics? "-" No, but we believe that Jesus was resurrected
and lives in us, "" eternal life, heaven and hell.? "-"
Exactly. Und wir glauben an ein Leben
vor dem Tod.« –»Oh...« Spätestens jetzt wird die zweite Flasche Pinotage entkorkt.
And we believe in life before death. "-" Oh ... " By now the second bottle is uncorked!
Even after a few bottles of wine and
serious conversation, n Nicht jeder
unserer Freunde glaubt nach ein paar Flaschen Wein, was wir glauben, aber wir
haben den Stein ins Rollen gebracht, die Kultur des Glaubensaustausches
angeregt.not everyone of our friends believes what we believe. But we have set the ball rolling and
stimulated a culture of faith sharing. Die
meisten wissen ja nicht, was es heißt, ein Christ zu sein. Most do not
know what it means to be a Christian. Wir
sind immer wieder überrascht, wie wenig wir selber lange Zeit wussten.
We are always surprised at how little we knew ourselves for a long time. Wir sind zwar konfirmiert, einer von uns ist
sogar in einem katholischen Internat zur Schule gegangen, doch das hatte unser
Leben bis dahin nicht weiter beeinflusst. We may have been confirmed;
one of us even attended a Catholic boarding school, but our lives had hitherto been
unaffected. Erst Südafrika, wo wir eine
andere Sprache sprechen und ein fremdes Land verstehen mussten, half uns, eine
Offenheit zu entwickeln, für die wir sonst nicht bereit gewesen wären. It
was our experience in South Africa, where we spoke a different language and lived
a foreign country, which helped us to develop an openness for which we would otherwise
not have been ready. Offenheit auch für
einen Glauben, den wir längst als verstaubt abgelegt hatten. Openness to
a belief that we had long set aside.
Anfangs
war Südafrika nur Abenteuer, ein Vordringen in unbekannte Welten, das wir wie
Anthropologen betrieben.South Africa was initially only
adventure, a penetration into unknown worlds.
We operated as anthropologists. Und
es war unheimlich und faszinierend zugleich, wenn wir in einem fremden Wohnzimmer
saßen bei Menschen, die mit geschlossenen Augen Hände auflegten, in Zungen
beteten oder unter Tränen erzählten, was Gott in ihrem Leben bewirkt hatte.
And it was scary and fascinating at the same time, when we sat in the living
room with a strange man, laying on the hands, eyes closed, praying in tongues
or tearfully recounting what God had caused in their lives.
So
verrückt das alles zunächst wirkte, die Menschen waren aufrichtig, und die
Zeugnisse ihrer transformierten Leben waren die besten Geschichten, die wir je
gehört hatten.As crazy as it all seemed at first,
people were sincere, and the evidence of their transformed lives were the best
stories we had ever heard. Wie die von
Enrico. Like Enrico. Enrico war
ein hochrangiger Gangster. Enrico was a high-ranking gangster. Seine Zähne sind aus Gold, er ist von Kopf
bis Fuß tätowiert, sein Rang ist ihm in die Haut gestochen, seine Vergangenheit
offensichtlich, jeder Gangster muss ihn respektieren. His teeth are made
of gold, he is tattooed from head to toe, his rank is inscribed in the skin, a
clear sign of his past; everyone must respect this gangster. Vor drei Jahren erschoss er beim Säubern
seiner Waffe seinen besten Freund. Three years ago he shot and killed his
best friend while cleaning his weapon. Als
er begriff, dass Gott ihm vergab, was er sich selbst nicht vergeben konnte,
änderte sich alles für ihn. When he realized that God forgave him, that
which he could not forgive himself, everything changed for him. Er ließ sein Verbrecherleben hinter sich, verdient
jetzt sein Geld mit Gelegenheitsjobs, sammelt und repariert Spielzeug für
Kinder, schreibt Theaterstücke für Jugendliche. He left his criminal
life behind him, now earns his living with odd jobs and repairs. He also collects toys for children and writes
plays for young people.
Oder
James, den Gott schwer krank im Krankenhausbett aufsuchte, obwohl James nichts
von ihm wissen wollte, und ihn auf einen Schlag heilte.Or James, seriously ill in hospital bed, whom God visited, even
though James would not hear from him and healed him in one fell swoop. Seine Familie dachte, er sei verrückt
geworden, als er plötzlich zu beten begann und nur noch von Gott sprach.
His family thought he was crazy when he suddenly began to pray and just spoke
from God. Bis dahin hatte nur seine
Frau gebetet und an den Straßenecken gepredigt, und auch das nur, wenn sie
betrunken war. Until then, only his wife had prayed and preached on
street corners, and then, only if she was drunk. James hörte auf zu trinken, betrog seine Frau nicht mehr und
brachte seine ganze Familie zum Glauben. James stopped drinking,
cheating on his wife and brought his family to faith. Einschließlich seines unehelichen Sohns, der von Crystal
Meth loskam. Including his illegitimate son, who is no longer addicted
to crystal meth.
Das war,
was uns als Schriftsteller faszinierte: die Menschen und ihre Dramen, die so
wahr und wild waren.That was what fascinated us as writers:
the people and their dramas that were so true and wild. So lasen wir auch die Bibel, als tiefbewegende Geschichte
echter Menschen. So we read the Bible as a deeply moving story of real
people. Das beste Buch aller Zeiten,
wie schon Bertolt Brecht gesagt hat. The best book of all time, as Bertolt
Brecht (a famous German author) said.
Initially, our faith was still a
little blurry and it contained a lot of doubt and skepticism. Aber nach und nach entfaltete sich die
Wahrheit in ihrer ganzen Schönheit. But gradually the truth unfolded in
all its beauty. Das hört nie auf.
It never stops. Die radikale Liebe
Gottes, die Freiheit, die wir in ihm finden, und wie Jesus sich in jedem
Menschen spiegelt – um das zu verstehen werden wir mehr als nur ein
Menschenleben brauchen. The radical love of God, the freedom we find in
him, and how Jesus is reflected in every human being - to understand this, we need
more than just a human life. Dazu
braucht man ein ewiges Leben, denn der Glaube sprengt unser weltliches Denken.
This requires an eternal life, because faith goes beyond our worldly thinking.
In South Africa we have seen how
faith binds the heart of different people. Das ist mehr als eine Religion, das ist real und
lebensverändernd. This is more than a religion; it is real and life-changing.
Zum ersten Mal fanden wir Freunde, die
in keiner Weise waren wie wir. For the first time we found friends who
were in no way similar to us. Die nicht
die gleichen Bücher gelesen, die gleichen Filme gesehen, die gleiche Musik
gehört hatten. They did not read the same books, had not seen the same
movies, nor heard the same music; yet we are still close to them. Wie Patrick, unserem jungen Freund vom Stamm
der Xhosa. Like Patrick, our young friend from the Xhosa tribe. Patrick hatte in der zehnten Klasse die
Schule verlassen, mit dem Wildern von Abalonemuscheln für die Gangstersyndikate
etwas Geld verdient und blieb nach einem Fahrradunfall querschnittsgelähmt.
Patrick had dropped out in tenth grade and made money poaching various sea
animals for the gangsters. After a bike
accident he became a paraplegic. Wir
lernten uns im Krankenhaus kennen und beteten jede Woche zusammen, aber es ging
bergab mit ihm. We met in the hospital and prayed together every week,
but things did not go well with him. Die
Bettwunden schlossen sich nicht, er hatte Aids und war depressiv. The
bed wounds did not close; he had AIDS and was depressed. Er wurde immer dünner und immer schwächer und
schlief den ganzen Tag mit einem Laken überm Kopf. He was getting
thinner and weaker and slept the whole day with a sheet over my head. Die Ärzte und sogar seine Familie hatten ihn
schon aufgegeben. The doctors and even his family had already given up
on him.
But then came Sipokasi, an old school friend of Patrick, and proposed to
baptize him.
Overnight
Patrick was better. The doctors were baffled because the change was obvious. It was as if someone had
switched on a light in him. His depression disappeared; after a few weeks he was
discharged from the hospital. His mother was beside herself with joy. She believed that someone previously using a witch
doctor had put a curse on her family. The curse of envy and jealousy is
common among the Xhosa, and a lot of money set is aside to counter spells and curses.
So-called sangomas offer their powerful magical assistance in
all areas: illness, debt, marital conflict, erection problems, unrequited love
- for everything there is a Muti, a spell and potions. Prostitutes pay a
considerable sum each month in order to be protected against pregnancy and
AIDS, to no avail.
Rose, a modern young Xhosa
woman, was intended by her clan to become a sangoma. The
world of magic, which we Germans preserve in the tales of the Brothers Grimm,
is for real. Water spirits, witches and
demons. About a year after she had become Christian,
the real struggle began for her. Whenever she started to pray out loud, unpleasant
things came out of her mouth, insults, curses, weird stuff. Such attacks occurred
very suddenly, and she often had to run out of church. The church family was praying
but undaunted. And God helped
Rose with his love: the fear subsided, the attacks ceased, and they never came
back.
With friends like Patrick and Rose, we learned that the Christian
faith in Africa is not only a way of life or a philosophy. For Patrick, the Holy Spirit broke the power of evil
spirits over his family. He
believes in a real God who protected him: a personal God of wonders, who is
superior to all other spiritual powers that could harm people.
The Europeans know
the word church, but no community
The story of Jesus, that God died on the cross
for our sins and his resurrection is victory over death, this enlightens each
African; while the Western Europeans understand the supernatural only as symbolic…but
then really not at all.
We have learned in Africa that
the gospel brings together different people in a family. The strength of faith is in Ubuntu, the Xhosa
name for the unconditional community cohesion. The Europeans know that is
the word for church. Except that
they have lost the radical early Christian meaning of the word.
Faith has made us stronger as a family
and has deepened our love for each other. It’s almost like we’re suddenly seeing our lives in three
dimensions instead of just an outline. And we cannot imagine how other people do without Jesus marry;
how they cope with puberty in their children; how they endure financial crises, anxieties,
desires, fears, death, how they deal with one’s own aging.
We have also realized while in Africa that not
everything must be understood. What
we know is that God gives us the task to make this world a better place.
It is
simple. With humor, joy, and with our
art. With sincere
love for each other. From person to person - but
using a power that is divine.
