Calling of 'brown' people

GEORGE NEWS - The "brown" people of South Africa have a conciliatory role to play in our country, says Sydney Opperman. In this, the first delivery in his series on the identity of the first nation of Southern Africa, he speaks about what he and many others believe is the calling of God for their lives.

"Is there a book for a nation?" was my question to Dr Artif in March 2005 at an oasis in Wadi El Natrun (the Valley of Salt) in the desert northwest of Cairo in Egypt. Dr Artif, I later learned, was an ascetic, a real desert saint. We were told that he only left his "hiding place" in the desert when he received a message from God. We then realised that our visit to the oasis that day was God-ordained.

The message Artif brought was from Revelation 20:12: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened."

He said that God has a plan for every individual, which is written up in a book. Those who will appear before God, seated on The Great White Throne, will be held accountable according to God's plan for their lives.

In response to my question, after the "message from God", Artif said, "Certainly, the only problem is that people cannot, because of their sinful nature, open the book, neither can they read with understanding or interpret the book."

I left the oasis with burning questions: What is God's purpose for my nation? How will my nation handle God's redemptive moulding which is shaping us for that purpose?

I knew that our nation had to be brought out of the abyss of confusion and that the fact that we have expertise, organisations, administration and oratory abilities, will not be enough. Only the Holy Spirit can give birth and bring our nation into that God-intended place. The world is waiting for the reconciliatory gift, which must come from the Foundation Nation of this country.

As one of the most genetically diverse nations of the world (Medical Research Council - Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Stellenbosch, 2010), we have already reconciled the nations in our veins. No other people group, as far as I know, started from conception as a "mixed" or "related" people (the meaning of "Otentottu", the original name of the first Southern African people that was degraded to "Hotnots").

There is a race for the destiny of this nation and our continent. We are called upon to speak on behalf of and for the land. We must stand in the gap for repentance for the sins of the land. We must extend forgiveness where we have been hurt. We must bring healing to the people and healing to the land.

This I know, is the moment to rise up and fulfil our redemptive purpose ordained before the foundation of the earth!

Sydney Opperman, 14 Lynx Street, Pacaltsdorp, 6534, 083 378 4237, sydneyopperman@gmail.com.

The next delivery in this series will be on the Otentottu identity.

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