An interesting piece by John Malherbe

Just some more ramblings which you might find interesting or not. The essay is far from finished. I’m tending to narrate the ideas from the inside-out so it gets a little gappy and convoluted at times but the extrusions are inverting which is good.

I believe that our reactive society prevents us from seeing the magic and any communication needs to somehow convey the message so that we can stop apologising and making excuses. Retrieving a Soul Quote: R. W. Emerson “Jesus Christ belonged to the true race of prophets. He saw with an open eye the mystery of the Soul. Drawn by its severe harmony, ravished with all its beauty, he lived in it, and had his being there. Alone in all history, he estimated the greatness of man. One man was true to what is in you and me. He saw that God incarnates himself in man, and ever more goes forth anew to take possession of his world. He said in this jubilee of sublime emotion, “I am divine. Through me God acts; through me speaks. Would you see God, see me; or see thee, when thou thinkest as I now think.”

What is the difference between a culture and a civilization and what might unite them or fuse them? A Soul? For the purpose of this discussion or task let us assume that the collective consciousness of South Africa is united. What do we mean by collective consciousness? There have been many descriptions of this phenomenon mostly characterized by a group identity, sense of humour, negative sentiment (doomsayers resistant to change or progress), a state being where it is characterized by fear or paranoia (violence stats.) or sense of inadequacy especially when applied to the developing countries in relation to the developed world. We might have the luxury of describing this state as a consciousness in formation or in an early stage of evolution but making progress, hold that thought.

If we perceive this united consciousness as a single person and forget the complexity that makes up this person or psyche, then we may see that this person is evolving. The hardship or friction they may be experiencing at any one time can be seen philosophically (in retrospect perhaps) to be the only thing that could have happened at that time to make them grow or progress to their next stage of evolution. The only thing that prevents them from seeing this fact is that they can’t see. They are in fact a bunch of thoughts, opinions, fears, regrets, reconciliation’s. In fact with all these thoughts they can’t see what they are, let alone what they should do.

It could be said that this person through all their trials, doubts and fears was evolving into a new state of Being but perhaps only if they realise what is happening to them and behave in a way which allows this to happen. If they do this they might be able to become what they are supposed to become and actually evolve.This new state of Being displays some remarkable but familiar behaviour. Listed these may include humility, empathy, tolerance, which collectively might be summed up as a “State of Grace”. In fact these familiar emotions are not emotions at all, they are a state Being that we are evolving into.

A significant proportion of South Africans were surprised but relieved that when Nelson Mandela and others were released from prison there was not a rampage of revenge and bloodshed. Perhaps this new state of Being doesn’t need revenge. In fact not only did this new state of Being not take vengeance, they accommodated the “enemy” and bent over backwards to make them feel that they belonged. This is a peculiarly South African characteristic, we are, I believe, the most hospitable, accommodating nation on earth. This thread unites us, black, white and everything in between. There is a strange something that, only here, makes it possible to be truly cosmopolitan. Everybody who comes here is made to feel at home, like they belong. As hard as we try to behave in this way as individuals from all our different perspectives and fears perhaps there is something else that unites us. Maybe Africa is home, a place where we can put up our feet, be silent, rest and recuperate, regenerate. Maybe Southern and South Africa is that place where we can all come to regenerate, to realise that we are evolving. A place where we can in a sense shed our skin and accept graciously this new state of Being. It can only happen where we belong, in the wilderness, in silence. If we tell people this in the simplest way they may also realise that this place, home, is where they need to come to find relaxation and respite, the only real opportunity to regenerate, something not available elsewhere. Maybe the only way to explain it is to tell the world to come home. That this is the only place where you can come and experience this new state of Being, what it feels like to be human.

Throughout history the great civilisations have one thing in common. They gave everyone a chance to feel what it was like to be human. Maybe South Africa will be considered to be the next great civilisation….It won’t if we don’t see what we are and what we are becoming. Whatever we do and whoever we are we all need to go home sometime to understand what it feels like to be human because we are human for a reason. Not only are we human for a reason, but male and female, rich and poor, black and white for the same reason. As each individual must learn to know themselves through their own eyes, their own perceptions, naked and raw, they must learn to see, so must a nation or a country or a civilisation. At best the current perception of itself (SA) must seem psychotic if not schizophrenic. This quest for seeing or perception is how we must begin to find our relationship with the world around us, it is our navigational tool. As the individual must take stock of what and who they are to begin regeneration so must the civilisation. As the individual or civilisation begins to see they will also know how far they can see, who they can reach, and in context, their role in the order of things will extract itself. They see what they are.This perceiving quest is how we must begin to find our relationship with the world around us. As the individual must take stock of what and who they are (take back their power) to complete their own creation, they will see how far they can see, who they can reach and in context their role in the order of things will extract itself.

The responsibility to take that essence (SA = Healing and Regeneration?) and in turn complete its creation becomes a part of the perceiving quest and a new mythology is born, one in which we unfold our own myth. The responsibility in the context of SA is perhaps more about perceiving or seeing itself before others can see it.

The real cost of Aids is emotional and spiritual, that death is priceless. This is what we have to tell the world. Not that we’ve beaten it through science and technology or suppression or interpretation of the facts, but through understanding. The only price to pay for Aids is that of not understanding, then we fight the war of inflation and poverty on other peoples turf and terms.

South Africa is one of the only places in the world where you can cultivate understanding but we know as South Africans we can cultivate that in most climates. In the late 60’s while everyone was focussing on the USA going to the moon a miracle happened in SA. A South African showed how it was possible to fix things inside. A heart was transplanted. Some dismissed this as tricking God or cheating death but Chris Barnard knows that all he did was buy us a little time.

Lets not forget the other Chris, Chris Hani and Nelson and Steve. They all knew this too and paid a huge price to buy some time.

Time for a Soul transplant. In Jerusalem one man died so that we might live? In SA many men died and maybe the really big miracle is still happening. What is a miracle but a massive contradiction. In SA we are living a miracle daily, in fact SA is a living miracle. One day people might find a computer disc or clay pot which when interpreted will carry the legend of a great civilisation with great leaders who built things. This won’t happen unless we see what we are and then go tell someone. The lungs of the earth are the rainforests, the heart perhaps the U.K., USA or Europe, the remaining organs can be assigned but what is missing is the Soul which is in SA. We know what happens if the Soul dies.So if we are ever going to be proud to be South African, black or white, maybe all we have to do is see that we are in the right place at the right time, see what we are or what we have the potential to be and what we can do. You won’t believe how far that can reach.

We can guess at what the sixth sense is and it will have a different slant for each one of us. I believe that as humans we have a seventh and more senses but the seventh is that which unites us. It is a sense of Being Human and a sense of Belonging. Mother nature or the nature of the Mother can only really be universally experienced in South Africa. In the country where black women raised white children with no bitterness or malice, with no reward or recompense to speak of, at least not in this life, in fact with extraordinary devotion and love. Everywhere else in the world we are humbled by nature or we “humble” it. We are isolated or alienated from nature and only return to de-stress or unwind. There are many beautiful places in the world that we escape to according to our means, creating memories and leaving mementoes (mostly litter). Sadly there is a sense that nature is subordinate, such is the way of our various western egocentric consciousnesses (consciencelessnesses), we visit condescendingly and return home “renewed”. I think we are missing the point.

Regeneration is the goal and we can settle for nothing less. In South Africa lies the possibility of Regeneration. In South Africa there is a sense of Being Home, a sense, not of humbling you or of quieting your soul but of making you understand that you belong. In many ways this is not a holiday destination, nor should that be the intent of the traveller to these parts.We have the possibility of creating a civilisation, that is what the African Renaissance is about. We need to take the time and the care and have patience, some people have already paid a huge price. Our attitude must not be “how do we beat that” or “how can we compete with that”. We don’t have to if we create something new and unique, we have all the materials. Time is both our worst enemy and our best friend. Most of us will not be around (in the final sense) to see the real fruits of the work that must begin now. How do we start something knowing we may never see its conclusion? What is a miracle but a massive contradiction (would suffice).

In South Africa where we sit on the side of the road the secret is that we are regenerating. Come home where you belong, put up your feet, relax see what you are and let Grace serve you………..

The legacy, apartheid and oppression, the debt absorbed, the Soul retrieved. It is up to us to live the completion of creation.