It is often fun to dream and envision the places in which we live different from how they currently are. A few weeks ago I was driving out to Khayelitsha with Susie and Lara from the Warehouse and asked them the question: “What would you do if safety were not an issue in Cape Town?”…it immediately got my mind thinking and I wanted to share some of my thoughts to that question.
First of all, if safety were not an issue…I would be living in the townships…living within the communities that I work with during the day! Specifically I would love to be in Tambo Village for this is the neighborhood that my church is in. Despite the poverty and the hardships these townships face…what they do have is rich community and relationships. I live in a somewhat middle class area in Cape Town. Not extremely rich, but definitely not poor either. I am not complaining at all…for our two story house even has a pool! But this house is safely hidden behind…a locked door, a security gate, a high cement wall, a remote controlled gate for our cars…plus a security system that gets put on even if we pop out for a quick errand. I know my neighbors, in the sense that I recognize their faces, or their voices as I can hear them over our back garden wall…but I don’t know them. Partly this is my fault as I haven’t really taken the time to chat with them if we happen to cross paths while driving into our secured properties before locking our doors. In the townships it is different…there are no fences and no gates. People walk to and from each others houses…children play in the streets and often leave for a few hours to play and the parents know exactly where they are. In my ideal Cape Town I would desire to live in a community where I could sit outside my home and chat with my neighbors, playing with the kids as they walked by…and not even worry about security issues!
As I sit here thinking about neighborhoods I reminisce the special season I had on Hilltop in Tacoma, WA. It was a clear call from Jesus to move into the very neighborhood of the families that I was ministering to at the time. I loved just being on Ainsworth St. I loved the summer days of coming home from work and sipping a glass of wine on my porch, chatting with the neighbors coming back from work. Dozens of kids would flock to my house and we would paint each others toe nails, sip lemonade or play ball out front. The Lord had called me to that community and I felt fully present there and so often alive.
I am challenged writing this today on how I can continue to build a community around me here in Cape Town…despite the current security, racial and social barriers that stand in my way.
Another thing I would do in an entirely safe city is walk anywhere and everywhere, at any time of day! Oh how I miss London for that aspect. I am not a runner, nor a gym girl…but I love to walk and miss that daily exercise! People do walk here, don’t get me wrong and most people have to for cars are a luxury. But it is not always safe to walk anywhere I want and by myself. As in most cities around the world, one needs to be wise and know where they are going and what they are carrying.
One of my favorite times to walk in London was at dusk, just as the sun was going down. As I wondered through my Fulham neighborhood, I could glace into the homes that hadn’t yet shut their front drapes. I felt like a detective in that 5 second glance into their sitting rooms…wondering who they were and what were they like (and looking at their beautiful paintings on the walls). I don’t walk around my neighborhood here and even though its relatively safe during the day light hours…it is not very scenic and beautiful. When I have the time I have started to drive down to Sea Point, an area near the city center. In line with its name, Sea Point is on the water and has a lovely promenade that stretches over a mile. It id a very populated area was push chairs, runners, families and dog walkers. When I do get the chance to stroll down there I breath in the sea air and pray while I walk…it has been a real joy.
In conclusion to these thoughts, I realize that there is no ideal location, neighborhood or community. Unfortunately the sin of this world is in every city I have ever lived. Crime, division and hate come to steal our peace of mind and relationships with one another. I am thankful I have a God who watches out for me…keeping me safe and giving me a conscience to listen to…but I am also challenged to be willing to break out of my own patterns…patters of fear and protection, that may hinder me from experiencing more of Jesus in this city he has called me to!
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