Redeeming History

How do you right a wrong that was committed over 200 years ago?

During the first three days in South Africa, we have been learning about the context in which the E.I. businesses are located. The main business is a bakery located in a township called Soshanguve. During the Apartheid, the Afrikaners relocated the native Africans to townships which were far outside the city. They separated the people based on their ethnicity and created preferential treatment for Whites. Interestingly enough, the United States has a strikingly similar history to South Africa. White immigrants came to South Africa in search of a religious refuge. They came in and established dominance. During our tour/orientation, someone mentioned that South Africa is what the U.S. would have been if the Indians had won the war.

South Africa has only had democracy in recent years, so the effects fo the Apartheid rule are still very prevelent, especially in the separation of the city and the township. As part of working with the bakery, we have the make early morning deliveries. When driving out to the township, Sally, an E.I. staff member in South Africa pointed out that we are the only ones driving into the township while everyone else is leaving the township. At night it is the opposite. The Apartheid model of blacks living far from the city and yet still working for the white people in the city is still reality.

During our whole orientation, I kept thinking about the similarity to segregation in the U.S. and how its effects are still being felt. As part of the white majority that was responsible for much of the pain and injustice, what is my role in redeeming that history. As a white foreigner in South African, what is my role in helping this country united and heal from past wounds. One thing our guide said that was really important was that the beginning of the reconciliation process begins with acknowledging that diversity exists and it is not going away. This just ties in more with what I have been processing about diversity on Biola's campus. It has been pretty fascinating to think through diversity while being the minority. I am beginning to gain a better perspective on it.

As far as how to redeem and reconcil history...I have no idea. I wonder where the line of continuing to make amends for the sins of my ancestors is versus moving on.