What will it take for the church to take Zuma cue?
IHAVE noted with interest the recently reported story of the Christian man who entered “the lion’s den” at the East London Zoo, and in so doing met his demise.
He purportedly supposed himself to be a “Daniel”, according to the narrative in the Holy Bible [the sacred writings of Christianity].
Some may find this laughable, thinking it “crazy” of him, but it is something quite tragic, and I wonder how the family and others truly work through this dilemma in their thoughts, and how they will reconcile their emotions, given the religious aspects of the matter.
President Jacob Zuma, in addressing the xenophobia criminal attacks in South Africa, mentioned something very interesting, namely that “we are sick” [and I like that he said “we”]. Thumbs up to the President for his “diagnosis” of the problem. Indeed there is a lot of dysfunction in our society, and so often we deal only with the symptom, rather than dealing with the root causes.
Medicine does that too, hence so much pathology !
Concerning the “Daniel in the lion’s den” story, I ask: To whom can blame be apportioned for this?
Was it the failure of psychiatric and other state services or was it a failure of the Christian church, due to not having “professionally trained” pastors or others available, to have “helped” the said suffering soul?
Our so-called secular state does not grant a proper place or give regard to the much needed and vital contribution Christians can make in helping to “heal our sick land”.
Meanwhile, the prospects for the future stare at us with gloomy foreboding, as we stagger from one crisis to another.
Government has for decades referred to a “lack of capacity”, which suggests that South Africa needs every person who can and who is willing to contribute to both the wellness and the wholeness of our nation.
There is also an urgent need to “cure souls”. No one is omniscient or omnicompetent in this world. We all need one another, Christian or not!
Whilst acknowledging a debt to other professions, and recognising our continuing need for collaboration with them, we cannot escape a function like pastoral counselling, a Christian phenomenon, which has a unique contribution to make from the theological perspective, to psychotherapy, including to that which is psychoanalytically oriented, amongst others.
I believe that a well-trained Christian minister – as one who symbolises the dimension of ultimate meanings – possesses precious resources for assisting the troubled.
Christians are interested in the celebration of humanity, are intentional and respect the good things done by other people and professions, and would equally expect a reciprocity of interest and respect for their positive contribution(s) to society, or the motivation which inspires such.
The church, with its concern for the whole person, has a huge stake here.
The “secular” psychiatrist or psychologist is NOT the exclusive keeper of the sacred depths of the unconscious or subconscious, etc. There are religious “specialists” who are able to go down to the depths of the grim abyss to rescue those who are capable of responding.
Indispensable in our “age of anxiety”, the church, by its distinctive contribution, can ill afford to allow the therapeutic encounter to be the exclusive concern of the non-theologically trained.
Practicing therapists are eclectic in their methodology, utilising techniques from a variety of schools, and the church has its own worthwhile role to play here.
I am of an informed view that clergy counsellors should be recognised in the same way that social workers, in particular, are, or any other member of the helping professions, provided they possess the requisite training, and are also professionally registered for carrying out their functions.
This would enrich the entire therapeutic effort in our nation now referred to as being “sick”!
The doctor’s patient, the clergyman’s parishioner and the case-worker’s client play a similar role in different stages and manifestations of human difficulty.
There is no getting around the fact that something radical has gone amiss in the human personality!
A professionally trained church minister or functionary is in a strategic position to assist in situations where competent, specialised help is needed.
If accorded its rightful place, which is currently denied by the secular state and some political parties, the church can be an effective and important social institution, particularly in a country where the majority of the people describe themselves as Christian (to apply the majoritarian principle).
The government should therefore never undermine the role of the church.
As a case in point, the achievement of political liberation is so often acclaimed in South African society, but why then, in our historical context, are the chains of an old slavery all around us and within us ?
Is blaming apartheid a red herring? Is it easier to avoid facing the truth about ourselves?
Unless we are open to seeing our own maladaptive ways of coping, we will always find it necessary to shut ourselves off from certain sources of truth and block any real progress.
The fragile shell of pseudo-omnipotence that most of us wear is cracked by our existential-religious experiences, which makes us keenly aware of the brevity and vulnerability of our lives, especially when sickness, pain, death or any other “crisis” affects us.
Every person in South Africa is highly valued by God, and we have a duty to one another as persons of worth.
The President of South Africa has given a correct diagnosis of the state of the nation of the country. My serious concern is about the prognosis.
Does the church need some rude awakening to stand up and be counted in its rightful place, so that God may hear our cry and heal our land?
The Rev Arthur van Niekerk is a pastor and a Khoisan activist in East London