Heritage and Reconciliation | #MyFridayStory No. 155

The world is crying out for healing.

There is so much division, distrust, conflict, suspicion, and disease, it feels overwhelming. Suffering and sickness are universally felt by all living things. In South Africa over the past 7 months, it seems to be getting worse. South African citizens are reaching the end of their patience. Reconciliation seems to be slipping away. Past wrongs are being exposed. The failures of the past 26 years as a democratic country, and those inherited from apartheid.

Yesterday was Heritage Day in South Africa.

According to Mark Heywood, we should have spent Heritage Day soul searching. In his article “Rise up, Fallen Fighters,” he speaks of our nation’s angst and sadness during this time. He importantly asks what values we will advance and where our spiritual reserves will come from when our financial reserves are depleted?

The Collins Dictionary describes a country’s heritage as,

“All the qualities, traditions, or features of life there that have continued over many years and have been passed on from one generation to another.”

Heywood explains how our uniquely diverse heritage should be seen as a strength and not a weakness. Our history with its many ethnicities and nationalities makes up a melting pot of diverse cultures. This makes the meaning of heritage different for people with different identities. “Because of our histories, we have many strands to our identity; there is a Zulu heritage, an Afrikaner heritage, an indigenous heritage, even a colonial heritage, to name but a few.”

“Diversity is a strength, not a dilution.”

The Covid-19 reset has allowed us the opportunity to choose the values we take into the future. The time for introspection and reflection has allowed us the privilege to pause and consider our impact on the world. On nature and the planet and each other as brothers and sisters.

And we have discovered there is a remedy for the world’s sickness.

It is the healing nature of humans acting with love, kindness, patience, generosity, selflessness, and humility. In the same way, as the world can seem bad, a lot of good is being highlighted.

We can view our diverse heritage either as an obstacle for reconciliation or as an opportunity to learn and show compassion towards each another.

The latter has a better outcome for all.

HT Rudi Swanepoel

Have an awesome weekend and stay safe! ??

As always, thanks for reading ??

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