YOUTH VOICES • REVIVAL

Revival Begins with Me

The presence of the Holy Spirit, the protagonist of renewal of faith and mission, is often not sufficiently acknowledged in the spiritual life of Catholics. The charismatic experience which took place at the chapel of the University of Asbury, in Kentucky, USA, and which brought together thousands of faithful from all over the world united in prayer is an example of revival which we all long for

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

REVIVAL SPARKS great debates amongst scholars due to its fluid nature. It is a refreshing, life-giving newness that emerges amongst the people of God and fuels further encounters with Him, for the glory of God. One such revival happened in February this year in a small chapel at the University of Asbury, in America (Griffith, 2023). Over a period of two weeks, more than fifty thousand people flocked there and people from various denominations experienced what is now regarded as one of the greatest revivals in this region (Griffith, 2023). According to Dr Mary Healy (Divine Renovation Ministry, 2023), there were some people in Asbury who prayed for decades for a revival to happen and when God began to move, there was good stewarding of the Holy Spirit—a willingness to let Him come and stay there. This required support from the student administration to accommodate this move, especially in the first few days of the revival.

Attend any Charismatic or Pentecostal church and you will hear some or other reference to revival, whether someone asks for it in prayer, or talks about the need for it in their city or nation. With revival not being specifically mentioned in the Bible, the average person would probably think that this is a relatively new trend in the Church. Revival is, however, not something new. In the Catholic Church, one would hear “Come Holy Spirit, Come” in some prayers, as well as in the “Golden Sequence” Veni Sancte Spiritus (“Come Holy Spirit”), Lord of Light, composed in the thirteenth century by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Stephen Langton and still present in the missals today, for the Extraordinary form of Mass (Corrigan, n.d.).

Revival and Scripture

Revival is something God has been doing throughout history, from the very beginning of time. God spoke and things came to be in the earth and the heavens (Genesis 1, 2). He longed for communion with His creation and created Man specifically for this purpose. In this, we see the fruit of revival: a tangible manifestation of communion between God and His Creation. The Holy Spirit—the Power of Creation—is the first person of the Godhead that we meet in The Beginning, as we hear of the Spirit hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:1). Yet, it seems that we hear of the Holy Spirit very seldom throughout the Bible. People seem to know less about the Holy Spirit than the Father and the Son, yet the Holy Spirit has been assigned to us to be our constant companion since Jesus Ascended into Heaven.

There were some people in Asbury who prayed for decades for a revival to happen and when God began to move

Doesn’t that seem like an awkward first encounter in an arranged marriage? However, as is the case in some arranged marriages, the bride and groom are connected in some way—relationally, economically, and in this case, spiritually, before they are even born. So that first ‘meeting’ is the first tangible encounter with someone who has had an intangible connection with you for a very long time. Pentecost, the birth of the Church, can be seen as that “first meeting”. The people in Jerusalem experienced a new and fresh encounter with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through the encounter a few disciples had in the heights of the Upper Room—revival.

The two Pentecost events

Pentecost has its roots in the Jewish feast of Shavuot or “First Fruits”, which is celebrated fifty days after the Jewish Passover (which coincides with Easter). Pentecost also coincides with the time when it is believed that Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai from God. Rich Robinson (2021) draws links between the two events. The people saw fire: the Israelites saw this falling on Mount Sinai, with smoke proceeding from it, and the disciples saw tongues of fire resting on each person’s head. In both events, they heard a sound: the sound of thunder and trumpet blasts at Sinai, and the sound of a mighty rushing wind in the Upper room. In both cases, they also felt something: The Mountain trembled and the room where the disciples were in, shook. Another thing that is common between the two events is the fact that prayer, fasting, repentance and a deep longing for God’s promise to be fulfilled, occurred in a place set apart from the rest of society.

One great difference between the two events is that the Israelites did not receive the Holy Spirit to the same measure that Moses did, as he remained in a state of deep repentance, prayer and fasting, whereas the people grew weary in waiting and began to lose focus of God. They refused to hear from God (Exodus 20:18-21). Moses thus received God’s glory, so much so that his face was completely changed, requiring him to wear a veil to protect the people from the Power of God. The disciples in the Upper Room, however, were united in their pursuit of God, knowing that Jesus had assured them of the Holy Spirit’s coming, and received Him so much so that they were able to translate this Glory to the people in the streets of Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-12). In the first event, the Law was given and brought judgment upon the people. In the other, Grace was given and brought life and freedom to them.

As Youths, we sometimes feel stifled in Church with few ‘real’ encounters with God, compared to what is experienced in Charismatic churches. The feast of Pentecost should definitely not be the only day in the Liturgical Calendar when the Holy Spirit is celebrated and spoken of in parishes. This will result in a people who are nonchalant to the daily beckoning of the Spirit of God, which is dangerous because little are the nudges of the Holy Spirit. It is in the littleness that we are able to ascend on the elevator of God’s Grace to His heart, as St Therese of Lisieux relates (Philippe, 2012). We must, however, refine our passion by passing it through the fire of the Spirit: prayerfully waiting on God. The temptation is to run and do what we think is best, but this must be placed under the authority of God for the best results. The Holy Spirit should be allowed to have His way, as Revival is something that only God can do (Divine Renovation Ministry, 2023).

Missionary Thrust

The atmosphere of prayer and repentance, coupled with a deep sense of longing for God were the main ingredients which sparked the Asbury Revival. Healings, miracles and deliverance from demonic bondages happened there, according to Dr Healy (Divine Renovation Ministry, 2023). She draws this back to the Great Commission where Jesus said that the clothing of Power from on High is what is necessary for the mission to happen (Matthew 28:16-20). Jesus allows us to be part of this when He says that where two or more are gathered in His name, He is present (Matthew 18:20). How much more two or more gathered in deep prayer and with a repentant heart will set the scene for God’s action. Lasting change is given birth through this action, which we are invited to be part of. The miracle of the languages that occurred on Pentecost (Catholic Church, 2011, no. 118), for example, required the disciples to be open to the Holy Spirit and to receive the gift of Speaking in Tongues. From the moment of this miracle, till eternity, we all are able to commune with God personally, in a heavenly language that breaks ethnic, cultural, historical, denominational and geographical boundaries.

The Holy Spirit has been assigned to us to be
our constant companion since Jesus Ascended
into Heaven.

We are an important part of the act of Revival because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Any moment is an opportunity for revival to happen. We can experience it on a personal or communal level, from the depths of our being to the farthest corners of the universe. So, come Holy Spirit, come. Veni Sancte Spiritus.

HUSTLE SMARTER, NOT HARDER

YOUTH VOICES • HUSTLING

HUSTLE SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Side-hustling has become popular, especially among unemployed youth or those in search of an extra income to make their living. Though it often demands prolonged hours of work, it also brings valuable contributions and untapped skills to the forefront of society

BY JILL WILLIAMS, CANDIDATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT | PRETORIA

IN SOUTH AFRICA, as well as 59 other countries worldwide, Worker’s Day has been celebrated on 1 May as a public holiday since 1889 (South African History Online 2022), through the support of an international federation of socialists and trade unions in Europe. Many workers’ benefits and humane standard working conditions, such as the eight-hour work day arose from various movements worldwide. Funnily enough, with the fast-paced world we are living in, it seems like we are moving back to exaggerated working hours, with an average of 21.1% of South Africans working more than 49 hours per week, nine hours more than the standard, according to Writer (2019). The COVID-19 pandemic fostered the rise of the ‘work-from-home’ model. This played a role in making people more accessible, since working at home became more widely accepted and accommodated through platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype. It also reduced the amount of time completely away from work that we spend as a society.

The Built Environment is one sector of employment, where workers put in more hours than they are being paid for to get work done. Credit: Brian Odwar/Pixabay.

Hustles take many forms, including the well-known small business of mobile food trucks. Credit: Sam Jotham Sutharson/Pixabay.

Working beyond your hours

According to Labour Guide (2023), working overtime, i.e. working more hours than the standard 40 hours per week in South Africa, is voluntary and can be done for only three hours on any given day, with 10 hours being the maximum number of hours in any given week. Remuneration is given for additional work and both the employer and employee agree to the terms of work for overtime, including when it will commence and come to an end. This, however, does not usually happen for over-worked individuals, particularly in the private sector, who are working extensively beyond their normal working hours to ensure work is completed on time and to ensure they keep their jobs.

People working in the field of the Built Environment, often speak of the private workspace regularly being a situation of worker exploitation as work is being done beyond the standard working hours, with no overtime or additional benefits. With the scarcity of jobs for young professionals in South Africa (let alone well-paying jobs), everyone wants to prove their willingness to work and lead in a company by accepting more responsibility and gaining more work experience for minimal or no remuneration. This is likely happening in other sectors too. Although there are councils which are intended to prevent and regulate things like this, the implementation of good practice is happening at a very slow pace—far too slow for the rate of economic shifts happening globally.

Being busy vs being productive

According to Writer (2019), The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses GDP per hour worked as a measure to track actual employee productivity in a given country. This has identified that on average, local workers work 8.6 hours a day; however, in terms of productivity, South Africa is contributing only $98 per hour worked, and ranking second last to Greece, amongst countries who are part of the study. Although we work long hours, our productivity levels in monetary terms are low. This makes one ask the question—are we busy being busy and staying occupied or busy being productive and bearing actual fruit from our work?

Vetkoek dough packaged and ready for distribution to the clients. Credit: Jill Williams.

Frying samoosa’s for a client’s order. Credit: Jill Williams

The phrase working smarter and not harder comes to mind. Is our way of working really beneficial for us in this country? Above and beyond this, we have faced great hits to our global economy due to factors such as the war in Ukraine, resulting in shortages of wheat and other products in various countries and contributing to high inflation rates in the prices of food in South Africa. This has placed pressure on the daily needs and money available for households of all calibres. We want better pay and better-paying jobs so that we can meet our daily needs, and often this means resorting to working longer hours.

As COVID hit and the rise of home chefs started trending, I began realising that I can put my new role as a cook to good use

One of the ways we have begun working extended hours, particularly in a more digitalised and social-media-exposed society, is through the rising trend of side-hustling online and otherwise, to make an extra income. This has become very popular and gained momentum, particularly amongst young people who have work and even for those who don’t have work but are looking to make a primary income. These side hustles range greatly from the selling of beauty products such as Avon, making natural beauty products and scents and selling them; the selling of homemade cooked ready-to-eat or heat-and-eat foods; drop shipping; teaching kids English online; or even type-writing and transcribing online, to mention but a few.

Side-hustling own experience

As a society, I feel that although we are pushing children through universities, to get their degrees and become academic doctors (which are all great things), we lack absorbing these obtained skills back into the job market. Too often, people are labelled as overqualified and have to settle for jobs that are not even in line with what they had studied, just to earn an income. Now and then a Facebook post shows graduates, fully clothed in their academic regalia, standing at the side of the road and begging for a job. Added to this is the need for people to reduce their wage expectations in the job market due to the need for more work experience than one might have been able to acquire while studying. Some of my friends who graduated with me struggled for many months to get a job, despite them having a Master’s Degree and more than two years of prior work experience. It’s a jungle out there.

I do foresee a great harvest of job availability and the growth of microeconomies through the energy and resilience youth has to offer the world

Before I began my current job, I experienced a few months of being unemployed. The moment I saw the ‘pass’ on my academic record and was informed I would be graduating, I was flooded with a sense of relief and gratitude, followed by the numbing thought: WHAT NOW? I was officially unemployed. I had instantly switched from being a student to being a statistic. In the months leading up to the time I began working in my current job, I was actively doing my bit to get employment. However, I still needed funds in the interim. I became frustrated at the process and the waiting, even despondent at times in that I could not put into practice the skills I had spent so long obtaining. Now I was a cook, a cleaner and a general homebody, an unemployed person. As COVID hit and the rise of home chefs started trending, I began realising that I can put my new role as a cook to good use. I began selling some of the foods I liked making, such as vetkoek (savoury fried dough), koeksister (twisted doughnut like treats with cinnamon and coconut), roti and samoosas. I also made use of skills I had learnt in varsity in terms of marketing my products on social media and creating digital posters and short videos. This greatly helped to spread the word about my product. I also got mostly positive feedback from clients and had some repeat customers. I was assisted somewhat with making roti’s by a family member when I had larger orders and my dad assisted greatly with transportation for free deliveries of the products to my clients.

Overqualified people often cannot find work due to little work experienced. Credit: Alpesh Solanki/za.pinterest.com.

This was a great learning experience and showed me that I could really make something of this with a few tweaks to my business model. Thankfully, I got a job four months after I completed my studies. On the business side of things, I tried to convert my hustle into a side hustle. This worked to some degree, but I eventually realised I would require more capacity in terms of manpower, as well as a physical location for my products to be sold for a continual influx of customers. My inability to keep up with orders and manage my working hours lead to my decision to halt the side hustle, to focus on my main hustle, allowing myself time to rest and recuperate after the mental trauma of having studied for the past seven years. I haven’t yet resuscitated the business, but I will. Watch out world!

We need to find a way to make money work for us more than we work for our money

What I learnt from this experience was that one needs to be realistic with what you are expecting from your business in terms of time and the amount of money, skills and effort you would need to put into the business. What risk reward factor are you willing to invest or spend on your business or side hustle? Another important thing is that you need to be vocal about your product or service. That is where networking starts: by making it known that you have something good to offer the world. This experience highlighted to me that we somehow need to find a way to make money work for us more than we work for our money. Side-hustling, though very exciting and rewarding when done well, can be very exhausting and draining in terms of one’s time and energy. Balance is key, but can be very tricky to navigate.

What I do know for certain is that there is much more to explore in the realm of hustling and certainly many more lessons to be learnt. Working longer hours does not seem to be dying down soon, particularly for the entrepreneurs in our society, but I do foresee a great harvest of job availability and the growth of micro-economies through the energy and resilience youth has to offer the world.

YOUTH VOICES

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

‘Home is where the heart is’, as they say, is not bound to a physical space or a specific situation, but it is more about our willingness to get involved in reality and the people with whom we live

BY JILL A. WILLIAMS | CANDIDATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, PRETORIA

WHEN WE think of immigration and becoming a refugee or an asylum seeker in a foreign land (and all that goes with it), it sounds like something out of a suspense-filled drama or a thriller; something that happens out there and not in one’s own circle. From the political
tumult in one’s country or region, to the upheaval in one’s city and possibly one’s home, it becomes increasingly impossible to stay rooted, to stay sane and positive about something good coming out of such a situation and for an end to the unrest. Fleeing is the only solution. Run and survive or stay and die. According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), about 100 million individuals as of May 2022 faced similar displacements worldwide—10.7 million more than in 2021, most probably due to the war in Ukraine amongst other causes (UNHCR 2023).

Searching for a new home

Jesus, Mary and Joseph similarly experienced a period of unrest soon after the glory and splendour of the Nativity. Matthew 2: 13 recalls it: ‘Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek
the child to destroy him”.’ Soon after experiencing the beauty and joy of a new life, the terror of death was now on the heels of the Holy Family. The instruction was simple: flee. They found refuge in Egypt, a land which once was a place of slavery for their people. There they were
safe and could enjoy their new life as a young family. Yet, they had to stay alert, to lie low and wait. For how long? Only God knew. Mary and Joseph might have echoed the words of Charles Dickens in his historical novel, A tale of two cities, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair’ (Dickens 1859).

We all experience this dichotomous journey sometimes in our own lives, in some form or another. A family who was left homeless after a flood hit their town, making their way to a shelter for aid; a drug addict taking the first brave steps to a rehabilitation centre; an ostracised church-goer moving to a new place of worship; an overworked and underpaid
employee attending an interview for a new job; an emotionally abused person breaking ties with their abuser or even a boy being initiated into manhood. At times, this new ‘home’ is a temporary physical or mental residence which provides the peace and shelter needed as we plan for our next step in life; at other times, it becomes a place where we settle
permanently, as we see ourselves having better opportunities in the new place. The journey is long, and not without its own set of challenges. The new ‘home’ is filled with possibilities, but also many hurdles to overcome—a new language, a new culture, a new start.

Getting involved

I was introduced to the term flâneur a few years ago—a strolling wanderer who looks and observes, not really participating in the activities being observed. This French term is usually associated with
the elite or middle class—a pastime of the well-off. Sometimes we do this in our social circles—looking at and observing people and situations, but not getting too involved by getting to know them on a deeper level. This means we avoid immersing ourselves in alternate
realities and experiences. We are all on a journey, whether or not this is in haste or to another physical country or land. Why then are we so afraid of involving ourselves in ‘the other’, the unknown? Perhaps we are afraid that we might just find that we too are sojourners and strangers in this world, that it is not our permanent home (1 Peter 2: 11).

Jesus walked this earth, a stranger living amongst His own people; His own Creation. He travelled and observed, but also participated in the joys and sorrows of the people He lived amongst. He knew that His time on earth was a temporary journey to an everlasting home with His Father. Yet even in His being seen as a strange, yet wonderful teacher by the people with whom He dwelt, He stooped down to the lowest in society and dined with them. Like Jesus, in order to call the land ‘home’, even just for a short while, one must immerse oneself in it—not only observing life but living it.

Jesus travelled and observed, but also participated in the joys and sorrows of the people He lived amongst

Nothing in life is guaranteed and the security of our present situation can be changed in an instant, as we all experienced in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. We each are a moment away from experiencing the distress and confusion of displacement— the tormenting thought of leaving the known to enter the unknown—even when we convince ourselves and hope beyond all hope that nothing bad will happen to us. Yet there is hope in any affliction—the realisation that you are not alone; that great opportunities lie ahead and that there is something better waiting you.

Displacement

This was the experience of the people of Israel, who were taken as captives in Babylon—somewhat the opposite experience of the refugee or immigrant. They lived happily in their land, their home, yet were forcibly removed and made to live in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon,
by Bob Marley & the Wailer (Song Lyrics 2023), echoes Psalm 137 and the story of the Israelites in captivity: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion. When the wicked carried us away in captivity. Required from us a song, now how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” Although this was a move from a time of peace to a period of unrest, there are some similarities with the experience of an immigrant: the feeling of displacement and having to acclimatise to a completely new way of life in a new environment (and amongst new people). The exiled did not know if they would ever see Israel again or be able to eat the fruit of the land. The future seemed bleak.

Like Jesus, in order to call the land ‘home’, one must immerse oneself in it—not only observing life but living it

However, after being taken captive by the Babylonians under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Israelites were given a sign of hope through a letter given to the King, which was written by the prophet Jeremiah, addressed to the Israelites: “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I
have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jeremiah 29:2–7). God wanted them to call the new land their home. He wanted them to continue
living, working and worshipping Him as they used to, with hope in their
hearts, so that through their lives they would glorify God and not their captors.

Open and welcoming home

Furthermore, the prophet gives this Word from God: “I alone know my purpose for you, says the Lord: wellbeing and not misfortune, and a long line of descendants after you” (Jeremiah 29: 11). Although the enemy had planned for the captive and the refugee to remain in the shadows, unloved and unknown, God still has a good plan in store for both. Ultimately whatever period of transition or journey to a new physical, mental or even spiritual territory that you may face, God knows where you need to be. Where you are right now is exactly where you should be. One priest said it this way: “Die Here is Die Here, en Die Here weet.” (The Lord is The Lord and The Lord knows). In all times and situations, we should emulate our Lord in glorifying God, as we are called to do: “Do not be anxious, but in everything, make your requests known to God in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Then the peace of
God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 6, 7). In this way, we will succeed in reaching out to the ‘other’ in their time of displacement and upheaval, inviting even the unloved and unwanted to call our hearts Home.

YOUTH VOICES • WATER RESILIENCE

Finding water in a dry place

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

FROM THE time we are conceived to the time we are buried, we are constantly interacting with water. It has fascinated man for millennia due to its strength and violence and its life-giving calmness. It can do the greatest of harm or a world of good, depending on its state and how it is utilised.

In the media, we are often faced with the devastating effects of drought, such as what is currently happening across the Horn of Africa, in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. We are also faced with floods, destroying homes and livelihoods, such as what happened in KZN, South Africa during May and June 2022. Furthermore, we are confronted by the recklessness and uncaring attitude of large corporate companies that pollute water by disposing of tonnes of toxic waste into rivers daily, such as in the case of the Klip River, south of Johannesburg (Dini, J.& McCarthy 2015). It’s in such times that the last things people are concerned about are the plants and animals in their environment, which might have run out of reliable sources of water—clean drinking water more specifically.

Effects of unavailable clean water

One of the unfortunate results when ‘water shedding’ (the cutting-off of water supply to certain areas for a controlled period of time) occurs, apart from water pumps breaking down, a lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation, amongst others, is the lack of clean drinking water for animals and the death or ill health of plants. Not being able to water one’s plants with clean water and watering them with grey or unsafe tap water has rather negative effects on them and sometimes causes plants to fall into a period of ill health due to the concentration of some harmful chemicals such as chlorine in grey water (Life is a garden, n.d.). This can be particularly harmful to edible plants due to the presence of some bacterial organisms such as Escherichia coli​ (Simpson 2022).

Have you ever noticed how much more ‘alive’ your plants look, even if it is overcast? This is due to chemical compositions in tap water versus rainwater. According to The Conversation (2018), tap water, depending on its source can contain more sodium or chlorine, which, after some time, can reduce the plant’s ability to take up nitrates (plant food). Rainwater and air that is saturated with water vapour have all the aspects required for the healthy growth of your plants—it is aerated (oxygenated) through the evaporation and condensation process, is heated and exposed to sunlight containing UV rays which help to remove harmful chemicals from the water and eventually becomes ‘fixed’ with nitrates through the process of nitrogen fixation, before falling to the ground in the form of tiny water droplets (fog) or larger water droplets of rain, which can freeze to form hail or snow. The process brings ‘life’ back into water and that life ensures that plants receive much more nutritional content than just tap water and manual soil improvement alone.

Natural means of improving water quality

There are other means of improving water quality naturally. Some plants, such as hydrophilic (water-loving) plants provide a great benefit environmentally for improving water quality. The above-cited case study (Dini, J.& McCarthy 2015), mentions that wetlands, also called marshlands or peatlands, are natural water-scrubbing areas that need a few important elements to purify water. The process requires anaerobic soils, hydrophilic plants, sunshine and time amongst others. The slower the rate of movement of the water, the more time it has to interact with the plants, soil and sunshine, causing harmful chemicals to become trapped in the plants and soil. Some peatlands are very old, such as the Upper Kapuas Basin in the Indonesian part of Borneo Island, at the geographic centre of maritime South-east Asia which is more than 47 000 years old (Monika 2020). It contains so much stored carbon in its peat that it can possibly burn for thousands, if not millions of years if ignited! That is how effective this system is when retained in its natural state or constructed in a way that is true to the natural principles of wetland systems.

Natural systems such as these are so effective that they can produce potable (drinkable) water if maintained in the system for long enough. Yet, long periods of drought and increased pressure on this system when rain does eventually fall, together with the narrowing of waterways and the increased rate of flow of water in the system prevent it from adequately interacting with the water-scrubbing agents and therefore causes harmful chemicals to remain in the water. Furthermore, the rapid flow rate may cause plants to become damaged and uprooted due to the effect of soil erosion. This ultimately destroys wetland systems. This requires the collaboration of the private and public sectors, to ensure that these systems are not overburdened. People and animals could even benefit from this system through the production of edible plants such as the Aponogeton distachyos or Waterblommetjie, found in the Western Cape, which is famous for fantastic stews and other dishes.

Air plants

So, what can we do to have beautiful-looking plants and possibly benefit from naturally cleaned water in the process?

Rainwater and air that is saturated with water vapour have all the aspects required for the healthy growth of your plants

The first option is to go almost completely ‘off the grid’ with epiphytes, which are also known as air plants. Air plants work very well as ornamental pieces in and around the home; however, these generally do not produce anything edible and do not necessarily assist with water purification or as a source of clean water. They can be hung anywhere from a kitchen shelf to a trellis or pot outside and require little to no water and soil, as all the nutrient content it requires is from the air. A personal favourite is Old man’s beard or Clematis vitalba.

Succulent plants

The second, more known option is the use of succulents. Xerophytic or dry landscapes are often overlooked when the conversation of water availability and conversations on water ensue. We think about what is visible—oceans, rivers, lakes. However, all landscapes have water-holding systems and the capacity to provide water to their inhabitants, even the driest of deserts!

The indigenous nomads of southern Africa, the San, used plants such as Sceletium tortuosum or Kanna as a water source when going on long hunting excursions

The indigenous nomads of southern Africa, the San, used plants such as Sceletium tortuosum or Kanna as a water source when going on long hunting excursions (Manganyi et al. 2021). Plants such as these could be squeezed or crushed to release moisture, a natural source of clean water, as well as additional health benefits for their journey ahead. This is a source of both food and water for both people and animals.

Xerophytic plants have amazing structures, just like their hydrophilic counterparts. They are generally composed of fleshy leaves and sometimes thick rhizomes and tubes that can be eaten and that store water. Even their smooth and waxy texture ensures that any available water vapour collected on its surface immediately runs down its fleshy skin into the ground, to be stored by the rhizomes or be taken up by the roots into a thick fleshy stem or leaf, depending on the plant. Isn’t that amazing? One can plant xerophytic plants such as succulents in smaller spaces; in terrariums and even in broken coffee mugs! The variety in size, colour and form of succulents allows one to have a very wide variety of choices when planting in all spaces—great and small. Furthermore, the additional benefit of planting succulents in your garden or pot is that they can provide edible plants for cooking, such as the Portulacaria afra or Spekboom, which has become widely popular in soups and salads, as elephants also discovered in the thickets of the Eastern Cape and the semi-arid Karoo area of South Africa.

Xerophytic landscapes

Xerophytic landscapes save water, money and energy in terms of maintenance, as indicated in National Cash Offer (2019). These landscapes are also visually striking and can be used to replace exotic plant species which often consume large quantities of water, without giving any benefit back to the community, apart from the visual appeal. Natural rainwater and very seldom manual watering will keep your garden looking in top form (even if grey water is all you have at your disposal). So why not give plants as a gift instead of something you will throw away later? You can start building up your xeriscape by using plant cuttings, gifting people with succulent plants and re-investing your lunch money for a short time into greening your personal and work spaces. Most succulents are pet friendly and have their relevant information available at the nursery or online to ensure that the plants you purchase are not harmful if they decide to take a nibble on them.

The additional benefit of planting succulents in your garden or pot is that they can provide edible plants for cooking

One aspect that many say detracts from the use of succulents is their aesthetic appeal. Nonetheless, I foresee that future landscapes would look much more airy and succulent. Not everyone likes the look of a succulent; however, the look of your water bill at the end of the month will surely make a Desert rose look like the finest rose from the King’s garden!

YOUTH VOICES • MISSION

Journeying to the Heart

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

ONE QUESTION that is frequently asked concerning the Youth is “why do they leave the Church?” Many theories have been developed over the years to address this recurring subject. These range anywhere from the Church being too boring, to the music not being vibrant enough, to the sermons being too long. I have heard it all and in reality, even with all these complaints being addressed, it probably won’t resolve the matter. The vibrancy of the music or the theatrics in the sermon run the risk of becoming the focus instead of the Eucharist, and although captivated at first, the Youth still turn away and seek fulfilment elsewhere. The despondency felt by some of the Youth in our church community must be countered in order for the Church to experience the benefits of their fire and energy within the Body of Christ. The real question is, what are the Youth moving towards?

We are Mission

Missionary work is usually something one would associate with ‘holy’ people, who are bold and brave enough to spread the Gospel to the remotest places and to people who have probably never even encountered foreigners in their community. That is only the half of it. ‘We are Mission’ was the theme of a Young Adult’s retreat I went to once. Our parish priest helped us understand that Mission is not something outside of ourselves, but rather who and what we are. We are the hands that extend to the needy and the arms that enfold the hopeless. Each day in our lives is another day in the Mission field—a brand new day of adventure—filled with opportunities to be the light to those in darkness and the fire to those who need the warmth of God’s love.

Christus Vivit, the letter that Pope Francis (2019) wrote to the Youth states that “Even those who are most frail, limited and troubled can be missionaries in their own way, for goodness can always be shared, even if it exists alongside many limitations.”

We are all made with deep desires in our hearts given by God, particularly to experience and extend that goodness to others; the desire to be loved, to be part of something greater than ourselves, to belong. This can be seen as an invisible compass that helps steer our thoughts and actions. External influences, such as the words and actions of people around us, can certainly play a major role in how we choose to meet those desires, making that compass spin in all directions and causing confusion.

The reality is that oftentimes, we, the youth, are on a different kind of mission. The commercial entertainment industry, for one, earns billions from music, art, visual and printed media productions and merchandise sales. Every word, still and musical note directs us to a journey of self-discovery for some, and self-destruction for others. The entertainment industry has found ways to evangelise and spread their own gospel of fame, money and power. Little children are impacted by this as young parents encourage even little toddlers to be actively involved in social media.

‘Follow your heart’ is the common word of advice we hear on TV and this mission of self may be causing many to turn from taking up their crosses and following Jesus (Bloom 2015). This gospel takes us further away from the desires God had placed in us. Instead of taking the time to understand our calling, we follow the call of another kind or attempt to follow our calling on our own terms. Sometimes we are blinded by the filters and photo-shopped bliss of the people we follow on Instagram and TikTok, but forget that they too are just people that need direction, that are in their own way following a certain ideal, standard or person. We tend to gravitate toward this projected lifestyle of luxury and ease—the ‘soft life’—and tend to forget that nothing in life is free.

Lions and lambs

I was recently honoured to be part of a confirmation presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Peter Wells. One of the things he relayed to the congregation was the importance of forgiveness and confession, and quoted a certain confessor, who said that priests are to be like roaring lions in the pulpit, and like lambs in the confessional. This will probably never escape my memory. One would think that the most difficult part of being a priest or any member of the clergy, would be to stand in front of many people and proclaim the Gospel. This seems to be the lighter side of the cross of the clergy.

What great humility must be needed to hold one’s internal tongue of judgement in the confessional! I can only imagine all the terrible, tragic, dark confessions made; and all the grace bursting at the seams of those confessionals, permeating the hearts of those willing to receive it. The priest becomes the mouthpiece for God; the channel from which the Holy Spirit flows, the healer, restorer and comforter. Through this process, the unknown parts of the heart of the faithful is pursued, searched and restored to wholeness. In this process, the lies and confusion are stripped away and one’s perspective changes—there is clarity and one can once again see which way True North is, which path is meant for one.

Endless possibilities

As with all great adventures, protagonists are usually faced with a similar challenge as are many youths today: a desire for more amidst the unfairness, blandness or rigidity of their current circumstances. This starts with a prompt—some event or situation—that begs of the protagonist to make a decision to either attempt to achieve the impossible, or stay in the security of their comfort zone. These prompts can come from both a negative or positive influence. I believe the call to be Mission begins with little prompts or invitations from the Father that leads to larger leaps of faith. Every little step in this journey is a step away from home, towards the vast unknown; the place of abundant possibilities for both good and evil. Dr Myles Monroe (1991) relays how taking the path you have been designed for is something that very few of us actually have the courage to undertake:

“Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on our planet lie just a few blocks from your house. They rest in your local cemetery or graveyard. Buried beneath the soil within the walls of those sacred grounds are dreams that never came to pass… Our graveyards are filled with a potential that remained a potential. What a tragedy!”

Although we may have disqualified ourselves from this adventure through our past words and actions, or even the lack of desire for it, we always have the opportunity to get aligned with God’s plan. The very heart of man is what God is after as he told the prophet Samuel when discerning who would become king of Israel: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16: 7)

There is also a lesson to be learnt from the World Youth Day experience. This pilgrimage is no small feat. The monetary cost, time and planning that goes into, not only running this event, but attending it, goes far beyond what many are willing to offer. Yet, according to some who have taken this journey, the experience of it is invaluable (Barron 2011). There is something almost magical about scores of youths united for a common cause; working, singing, walking and praying together. This uncommon coming together of the faithful dumbfounds the media at times (Barron 2011), and is nonsense to the man on the street. What a sight it must be: a crowd of adventurers coming together to open themselves up to the possibility of more; to receive fresh fire and perspective for their own journeys.

Young people are always in search of an adventure and once they have decided to taste the one predestined for them by the Father, they will never turn back. The answer to the heart turned from God is to re-introduce it to the Father’s love through one’s own Mission. God is after our hearts and in our missionary journey, we can have and display that same yearning for his Heart through our daily walk with Him.

YOUTH VOICES • MUSIC

Celebrating life through resonance with music

Music is a form of entertainment that has featured throughout history. It has a powerful influence in our lives and it is a vehicle to express our passions, to praise God or even a vehicle for hope

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

OVER THE centuries, entertainment has taken many different forms from one civilisation to the next. The ancient Egyptians used to juggle, have pageants, hunt and fish. The Romans watched chariot races, combat between gladiators, or lions (or both). Wrestling and combat games also featured strongly in many cultures, including the Greek and Nguni nations. Many forms of entertainment have fallen away. Some have been revived, such as camel jumping in Yemen. Others only started being popular recently, like binge-watching of TV series. One form of entertainment, however, that has stood the test of time, is playing and listening to music. As Shakespeare said in the opening line of his comic play, Twelfth Night; “If music be the sound of love, play on!”

The power of melodies

Just like atoms being positively or negatively charged, we can shift moods and intentionally create the atmosphere we desire around us through the use of music. By playing joyful music in the morning when you wake up or on your way to work, you can go through the day feeling lighter and more energised, particularly when the music is God-focused. Not surprisingly, music has also been proven to boost memory in all age groups, aids in building task endurance. It can lighten one’s mood when playing non-melancholic or nostalgic tunes. Music also helps to reduce anxiety and depression, helps preventing fatigue, aids in improving one’s response to pain, and improves the effectivity of physical workouts. This has a lot to do with the length, frequency and speed of a sound wave. Sound is deeply rooted in our psyche. The vibrations and muffled sounds a baby hears and feels in the womb greatly influence the growth of the child. Similarly, the type of music played is important. Even plants have been proven to grow better when music with a faster tempo is played to it; however, very depressing slower tempo music tends to depress the plant (Oxford 2020). How much more so are we human beings affected? From the beginning of time God has spoken (Gen 1: 2); the very power of creation was triggered through the vibrations of the sound of the Word and continues to vibrate and echo throughout the universe today.

One form of entertainment that has stood the test of time is playing and listening to music

Musical genres

Over time, music styles fluctuate. We can observe very distinct categories and genres and combinations of various sounds from different periods and styles forming new genres still. Its fluidity, adaptability, relatability and ease of access make music arguably one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. By simply repeating, stretching, over-or under-emphasising a sound or a word, one crosses the delicate threshold between sound and song. From classical to rap, blues to rock, hip hop to pop, reggae to house and everything in-between, music has found a place on everyone’s physical, mental and virtual playlists. There is a constant hunger for the latest music and new trends particularly in the younger generation, while the more mature generation tends to prefer listening to old favourites. Preferences and relatability to certain genres of music can even be the cause of unity or division in families, friendship groups and societal groups. It can become a great challenge for families hosting multiple generations to sit in a room, listen to and actually enjoy a certain piece of music.

Music creates the atmosphere of a setting or event

Matter of dispute

This is particularly the case in families where grandparents and grandchildren live together. Here, complaints can be heard from either end of the spectrum; one form of music is being too loud and obtrusive, while the other is too slow and boring. Dancing and singing often accompanies the playing of music, which could add to the list of complaints due to the quality of the singing and appropriateness of dancing styles in different settings. If one overlooks this, it can also become an opportunity to enjoy little moments with family that most take for granted.

David’s wife, Michal, opposed David’s dancing before the Lord as he expressed his joy of the triumphal entry of The Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. In 2 Sam 6: 16, we see how Michal viewed King David’s actions as inappropriate: “Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour” (2 Sam 6: 20–22). Is the playing of music and dancing thereto ever inappropriate when done for the glory of the Lord? A great event in the history of Israel was taking place and music exemplified the atmosphere. David’s dancing was inevitable.

Raising emotions

This is one of the qualities of music; that it creates the atmosphere of a setting or event. The use of this as a tool in sport, gaming, cinema, or other forms of entertainment and even in retail stores and eateries is strategically done to trigger certain emotions in consumers. Even now, I distinctly remember the soundtracks of the games that my brother and I would play as kids: from the Nintendo NES’s classic Track and field soundtrack, Hyper Olympic – Gentai Ban! by Konami (1985) to Mario Bros’ “Underground Theme” soundtrack in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995), there are just some tunes that will forever be engrained in our memories. Even the theme songs of our favourite cartoons, series or movies never grow old. The chorus of Eye of the tiger by Survivor (1982) popularised by Rocky III (1982) will never fail to energise the athlete and Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s A whole new world (1992) in the movie Aladdin (1992) continues to spark hope and wonder in the eyes of young fans. Even a drop of ketchup can bring a happy jingle to mind.

Singing for God’s praise

In Is 6: 1–4 we read an account of heaven where God’s presence was hosted by the seraphim’s constant, foundation-quaking hymn of praise: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

“In communion with them, the Church on earth also sings these songs with faith in the midst of trial. By means of petition and intercession, faith hopes against all hope and gives thanks to the “Father of lights,” from whom “every perfect gift” comes down. Thus faith is pure praise. The Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is “the pure offering” of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God’s name and, according to the traditions of East and West, it is the “sacrifice of praise” (Catholic Church 1999).

Music and song also created an atmosphere with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as everyone, including little children sang joyfully: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19: 37–40). The Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke these praises, however, His response indicated that the energy and atmosphere of praise was so tangible that even the rocks—inanimate objects—would have had to join in the joyful melody of celebration.

Carrier of hope

The energy and passion in the rejoicing taking place in this passage reminds me somewhat of the movie Sarafina (1992) based on Mbongeni Ngema’s 1987 musical Sarafina which comments on the events that happened on 16 June 1976 in South Africa where thousands of Sowetan youths protested against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. One very memorable scene in the movie is when Sarafina, the protagonist sings Freedom is coming, by Mbongeni Ngema with her classmates, marking the hope for the future of the youth of South Africa. Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation at hand, people still had great faith in the future. Music became a prophetic sign, enabling the characters to express their hope and dream for freedom even if just with their voices. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was that rebuke-defying cry of hope and joy: hope for a Saviour and joy at the prospect of being free.

Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation, people still had great faith in the future and music became a prophetic sign

With millions of sounds and songs plaguing our minds and vying for our attention, it becomes very necessary to stop and focus on the present moment. At times one needs to tune into the heavenly atmosphere encamping the “now” and listen to the liberating, hope-filled work that God is doing. Zeph 3: 17 reminds us of this, saying; “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Our eternal God sings an eternal song over us. We can tap into His heavenly sound at any time and at any stage in our lives. We can do this alone, with our loved ones or as a community. The most relatable, memorable and impactful of all music; the song of all songs is the Song of the Lord.

YOUTH VOICES • SYNODAL TOOLS

Reflecting on the Journey

The author of this article shares her understanding of listening, dialogue, prayer
and discernment as essential elements in the synodal process the Church has embarked on

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

OUR DIOCESE recently underwent its Second Archdiocesan Synod. Most of us had no idea what a synod was or what it entailed, and it took a great deal of time and explaining to grasp. However, we fastened our belts and put on our sandals to go on this journey, learning more about the history of our Church, our faith and about each other. Through the various sharing sessions, I learnt that the reason for this whole exercise stems from the heart of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). Br Casey Cole, OFM (Habit 2018) states that renewal and a better understanding of how we are to live our faith was brought about through the meeting of Bishops that occurred at the Ecumenical Council of Vatican II. However, he also describes Vatican II to be fairly new, in terms of the history of the Church, and thus still requires some unveiling. The next phase in understanding Vatican II and how these have aided or hindered communal life is happening in the Synod during the period 2021–2023. The call was made by Pope Francis and reverberated through the Church to parishes globally, so that every person, clergy and layman, plays an active part in the process of listening, dialogue, prayer and discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit. This article will discuss some lessons I’ve learnt in the synodic journey and some of the experiences that have helped me understand this exercise more.

Listening

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22

It amazes me how often God spoke to the Israelites through Moses, who revealed to the people miracles, signs and wonders—all showing his power and presence—and yet they still reached a point of turning their back on Him and worshipping Baal (Ex 32). God commanded the Israelites not to ascend the mountain as Moses did, but to wait for him to come to them with instructions from Him. God did, however, also say “I am going to come to you [Moses] in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you,” (Ex 19: 9). Although Moses stayed on the mountain for a long time, God allowed the people to hear the conversation on the mountain. The question is, were they listening? Moses had to relay God’s message to them—despite God making a way for them to hear Him speak. This is a testament to all of us that our flesh is constantly at war with our spirit, fighting to have our time and attention. The initial awe and wonder of this meeting died down as the activities of everyday life began to take precedence.

Most of us had no idea what a synod was or what it entailed, and it took a great deal of time and explaining to grasp

This often happens in the Church and even in Mass. The Liturgy, though beautiful and sacred, becomes another activity in the list of activities of the day. We can hear God speak, but our daily experiences muffle the voice of the Spirit. A major difference in the experience of Moses and the Israelites in this instance is not that he was able to ascend the mountain and the people not, but rather that he kept his Spiritual eyes on the Lord by fasting on the mountain, while the people did not.

Fasting is ultimately the cleaning and unclogging of your spiritual eyes and ears, so that you can see and hear the Spirit more clearly. In the case of Moses, he saw God in the cloud and was so enveloped in God’s presence that his physical appearance became more likened to the Glory of God. However, the Israelites saw death in the cloud, and in their blindness resorted to focus their energy on what they could see: the pleasure that gold, food and drunkenness would offer them. They couldn’t hear God because of their intense focus on ‘self.’

Synodality is facing the reality that there is more to you than you. There is a world to be explored and mountains to climb. By taking the journey and letting go of desires of the flesh, through the process of fasting, one begins to hear the beautiful lessons of the Spirit more clearly. During Lent, I stood in an arcade, waiting for a family member, when I saw a little girl walking past me with her mother not far behind her. The girl stood right in front of me, gave me a huge, warm smile and waved at me, and then continued walking on with her patient mother. I was greatly impacted by her warmth. She gave me the courage to continue on in that same joy. “For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” Jesus said (Mt 19: 14). This, to me, is a true expression of synodality—the faithful journeying together, on a common journey or shared path, which is the meaning of synod from the Greek language, (The Vatican 2021) and adding zest to the zestless in the everyday banalities of life. In this way, we will become salt of the earth and precious oil, poured out as a living sacrifice for our King. Fasting helped me to see the Holy Spirit’s action in this event, so that its significance did not pass me by, but rather perform the work it was ordained to do.

Dialogue

When one journeys with another, a conversation is bound to ensue. At times it may be pleasant and light-hearted, bringing a sense of mutual respect and love. At other times, disagreements may break out, harsh words may be used and a disconnection may happen in the rhythm of the journey; yet Pope Francis encourages us that these “…arguments [clash of differing visions and expectations] are a sign of docility and openness to the Spirit” (The Vatican 2021).

I realised that we do not embrace this in church life. When disagreements happen, then cracks begin to develop in parish communities that often remain untreated and sometimes grow into deep fissures. Furthermore, I’ve learnt that every parish community has its own politics (and this applies to Churches in the broader Christian community as well); with member x having a history with member y, and being the reason why certain things can or cannot happen in a parish.

Fasting helped me to see the Holy Spirit’s action in this event, so that its significance did not pass me by, but rather perform the work it was ordained to do

Another crack that forms in communities is when the clergy or laymen get so caught up in the business of communal life that they fail to invest in their health and in taking time to rest. Once-active-parishioners who were involved in various committees and sodalities, at times reach a breaking point—disappearing off the church radar—by moving to another parish, city or country and possibly converting to another faith or believing that faith in God is nonsense. I believe that in many cases these people have experienced ‘Church hurt’, have had their ego bruised, experienced burnout, a prolonged period of loneliness and bitterness, or even had unresolved anger towards the communities they spent years serving.

The synodal discussions emphasise the importance of journeying together. One cannot run for the sake of the Church or the Gospel and not walk in communion with others. We need each other and we must be willing to help each other. The Pope reminds us that as we work together, we should not to act like ‘deputy Jesus’ as one meme put it.

“Still, it is always tempting to do things on our own, in an “ecclesiology of substitution”, which can take many forms. As if, once ascended to heaven, the Lord had left a void needing to be filled, and we ourselves have to fill it. No, the Lord has left us the Spirit!” (The Vatican 2021).

The eternal presence of the Paraclete is what makes dialogue possible. Without His prompting, leading and even restraint at times, walking together would become a very cumbersome experience that will result in separation and isolation instead of unity and dialogue. These are matters that require intentional and continual dialogue—with one’s self and with one’s fellow parishioners—always with the Holy Spirit guiding the process to ensure that reconnection happens. Somewhere in the faith journey disconnect will happen. This must be worked out in order to grow as a person and as a Body, in order to actively live the lives Jesus died for us to have.

Prayer and discernment

“History teaches us that it is not good for the Church to stand still (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 23). Movement is the fruit of docility to the Holy Spirit, who directs this history, in which all have a part to play, in which all are restless, never standing still.” (The Vatican 2021).

In our journeying, it is important to never remain stagnant in despair and pain, or even in joys and victory

In our journeying, it is important to never remain stagnant in despair and pain, or even in joys and victory. There must always be activity, as the Spirit Himself has been moving from the beginning of time (Gen 1: 1). This constant motion requires us to be honest with ourselves and others and to realise that we will not always be able to ‘move’ in the same way. Age, disability, financial and social factors affect us in various ways and sometimes cause us to stumble. We need to help each other. One preacher said something I will never forget. The simplest prayer you can pray consists of one word: ‘Help!’ Human beings can sense when someone is in pain by their posture, how much more does the Creator see the aching and groaning of a heart filled with sorrow. This is something we often forget in our personal journeys of faith. We think that we have grown and overcome challenges and that we can handle things better and possibly do not need any more help, only to end up falling and failing, possibly in an area we once experienced growth and victory.

Jesus, through the Holy Spirit is always speaking to us, making things clear for us, even when we are stubbornly going our own way; “He made [his mission] very clear to [the disciples]” (Mk 8: 32). How much more then, will He clear our path for us, teaching us what we should do and say on the journey and even who we should journey with? God promised He is always with us, “to the very end of the age.” (Mt 28: 20).

YOUTH VOICES • FOOD UNIVERSE

Mind what you taste

Eating is more than replenishing our calorie needs. It can also become an extraordinary experience that opens us to the realm of memories, imagination and food treasures of our ancestral traditions

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

THERE ARE few things in the world that can bring people from all walks of life together like music, dance, sports and food. Whether it be at family gatherings, weddings, church, school events or any large gathering, you will find one or all of these elements in place to help people interact with one another, enjoy the activities of the day, and to foster a general sense of togetherness.

Memories

Each of these have a common thread: they entice the senses and awaken emotional responses and even memories. Food in particular has a strong effect on the mind in recalling memories of textures, smells, people and places. According to Harvard University Press (2012), the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is stimulated when one eats. This is the storehouse of long-term and spatial memories, and is connected to the digestive system and parts of the brain that are important for emotions and smell. That, to me, makes a great deal of sense; the smell of imaginary chocolate seems to waft in my nostrils whenever I have a craving for it.

This can be of great advantage to the food industry. When catering for events, one can look to using food items that generally evoke certain emotional responses to match the atmosphere one would like to create. One might not include boerewors (grilled sausage) rolls in a wedding menu (unless it is specifically requested), as this generally is associated with a more relaxed, get-together type of atmosphere. So the type of food selected by caterers for their menus play a role in creating the right atmosphere for the events they cater for. Even chain stores and everyday families make use of this: think Wacky (burger) Wednesday and Pizza Fridays!

However, Peluse (2017) claims it isn’t exactly the food itself that makes the memory a good one, but rather the activities that surround or are linked to the meal. The laughter, conversation and activities of a day are wrapped up in the smell, taste and texture of what one consumes. Food becomes the capsule to these experiences, stored safely away in our minds, but easily retrievable through encountering flavours and fragrances of a similar specification.

The laughter, conversation and activities of a day are wrapped up in the smell, taste and texture of what one consumes

A unique experience

So, what role does food memory have on the food industry in terms of guiding food consumption patterns and behaviours? I once had a conversation with colleagues about this while eating out. We were out of town for a certain project and after the day’s work, we were famished. We set our minds on trying something new, and not succumbing to conventional chain stores to get dinner. So, with determination in our bellies, we walked for what seemed like an hour, (but it was probably far less), trying to find a decent place to eat. When we finally found one, it took some time to get a table as the restaurant, like most others in the area, was quite busy. The atmosphere was cozy and the décor was eclectic. When the meals we ordered arrived, I was underwhelmed by the portion, but the presentation and aroma thereof was immaculate. We determined that most of the time, a filling meal is preferred. However, one should open oneself up to the experience of dining. Eating out can be more than what you have on your plate: it’s the ambiance created by the soft, bohemian music in the background, the dim lighting that makes room for candle-lit meals, the low buzz of conversation that surrounds you—all leading up to the moment you taste the masterpiece before you. That simple meal of creamy gnocchi with butternut not only quenched my hunger, but transported me straight to the pearly gates of heaven. I doubt I will ever forget that experience.

There is value in both the practicality of low-cost-filling meals as well as the frivolity of overpriced dining experiences, because both can have a strong emotional effect on the consumer. Food triggers emotions and intangible connections; spatial memories are formed through our consumption thereof. Perhaps we ought to be more conscious of what it is we consume and where?

So, what about the ingredients that make up the food we consume? Does the choice in ingredients have an effect on the outcome of the memories we have of it? Can it even go so far as connecting us in some way to our past, our heritage and ancestry? In the book of 1 Kings 17: 7–16, the prophet Elijah asks the impossible of the widow of Zarephath: to bake him a loaf of bread from the last of her flour and oil—the last morsel of food she had available for her and her son. Through her obedience, she not only found herself having enough bread for her household for that day, but for every day till the three years of drought that had stricken the land was over. Years from that event, the widow must still have had the taste of the bread from that divine supply lingering in her mouth. Perhaps this experience even triggered in her mind the memory of stories told about her forefathers who wandered in the desert for over forty years, where they ate manna from heaven. Those light flakes of manna picked up from the dry ground of the wilderness, were used in the making of bread, cakes and biscuits. Her endless supply of oil and flour must have made her think: “This must be my manna from heaven.” The widow would have felt a connection to the thoughts and experiences of the Israelites of the Exodus, even though she never knew them personally or went through what they did.

Indigenous plants

Food security for our forefathers looked somewhat different. The first known people in southern Africa, the San, as well as tribes that followed, had to navigate their way through unknown territories through the process of hunter-gathering as they searched for resource-rich areas. Through this process they would have come across many indigenous species of edible plants that had the potential to be cultivated as a crop. Our experience of trying to find a decent restaurant must have been a far easier journey than what they must have gone through.

Indigenous crops are plants that grow naturally in a specific region that are fruit-bearing or whose various parts can be consumed or used for medicinal purposes. Rooibos and Hoodia are examples of indigenous crops that have been introduced into the global market for their many medicinal properties. The successful commercial growth and marketing of other indigenous crops, however, do not always occur as easily. Some become ‘orphaned’ or ‘lost’ along the proverbial path, due to their existence or importance being forgotten over time. These plants were once frequently collected from the bushveld and used by nomadic people for their medicinal, functional and edible qualities. I cannot imagine how many years of testing and proving were required to gain the plant knowledge to know the difference between these plants and to eventually distinguish the delicacy from the medicinal.

The San had to navigate their way through unknown territories through the process of hunter-gathering as they searched for resource-rich areas

Cullis et al. (2018: 2) claims that these crops, mainly in the form of legumes, are “staple food crops in many developing countries.” One such plant, the Marama Bean, has adapted over time to the extremely harsh conditions and poor soil quality found in the western portions of southern Africa. Some of its drought-adaptation mechanisms have increased its value as a nutritious, viable crop that can be cultivated for larger crop harvesting. Cullis claims that its seeds “rival peanut and soybean in composition and nutritive value”, and that its tuber, found below ground, is higher in protein and “much bigger and more nutritious than any potato, yam or even sugar beet.” This must have made for fine dining back in the day! In order to locate and harvest these crops, our forefathers must have utilized food memory as a method of survival: remembering the exact locations, seasons and conditions in which indigenous plants like these were found, making sure to pass this knowledge on to their children, who in turn would have their own memories of their food journeys.

We need more than the finished product; we need what constitutes the product to be good, in order to be filled and nourished

Creative eating

Times are tough and Rands are few, as the implications of staying-at-home due to COVID are still lingering in society financially and routine-wise. Thinking of new ways to make mealtime special, affordable, accessible (for those who do not have the means to get food regularly) and memorable, can be challenging. Imagine including an extraordinary crop like the Marama Bean in your garden and adding it to one of your favourite dishes? The addition of it will certainly give an old, bland meal new zest and will certainly give your family a healthy boost of nutrition, possibly even doing so when the belts have to be tightened. Most importantly, tapping into ingredients from the past, help us to connect to our heritage, our land and what it has to offer. We can choose to actively make good ‘food memories’ in a way that is specific to our context.

Herein lies the importance of food. It reminds us that we need more than the finished product; we need what constitutes the product to be good, in order to be filled and nourished. Man does not live on bread alone, but on the source of the bread (Matthew 4: 4, paraphrased). So let us be more conscious of what we eat, select ingredients that make up our food more mindfully and enjoy the symphony of textures, flavours and aromas on the journey.

YOUTH VOICES • FAITH EDUCATION

The Freedom of Learning

BY Jill A. Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879–1955) once said that “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learnt in school”. This means that what is planted in one’s mind through formal or informal instruction must be liberating and not constricting, life-giving and not depleting; in this way what remains after school—the plant or tree of knowledge—will be able to do both the work of sowing freedom into other minds, and the work of being receptive to new seeds of formation or instruction.

“Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Immutability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.” (Catholic Church 1998).

Basic education is similar to catechism as they are fundamental learning stages on the route to adulthood, in one’s faith, and into the society at large

Ignorance can lead to confusion, lack of knowledge, destruction and death, as seen in Hosea 4: 6: “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” Jesus goes on to indicate that this is the chief purpose of the enemy, whereas Jesus Himself has come to give life in all its fullness (Jn 10: 10). There is a deceptive comfort that one could find in shrugging one’s shoulders and saying ‘I don’t know’. Although we cannot know all things in our limited capacity as human beings, we should not remain in a state of neutrality and passivity, as this can hinder our own growth and cause friction with those who do wish to progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Exchange

Knowledge, however, is fluid: the remnants (education) of your formal or informal instruction and that of mine might not look the same. This can seem like a challenge, as one can struggle to communicate certain ideas to another if one’s pool of knowledge differs from theirs, but this can also be a great opportunity to expand one’s own knowledge base and access the remnants of others. As with the development of technology (think of the automobile, aircrafts, the telephone and many other technologies), what many people have developed and studied throughout their entire lives, can be developed and improved upon by someone else in a year, a month or even a day because of it. This must be part of what we were made for—to think fluidly; to learn freely.

Pope Benedict XVI, on 8 December 2005 said: “The person who abandons himself totally in God’s hands does not become God’s puppet, a boring ‘yes man’; he does not lose his freedom. Only the person who entrusts himself totally to God finds true freedom, the great, creative immensity of the freedom of good. The person who turns to God does not become smaller but greater, for through God and with God he becomes great, he becomes divine, he becomes truly himself. (Cardinal Schönborn 2011).

Basic education and catechism

Basic education in South Africa comprises Early Childhood Development centres (ECDs) for infants and toddlers, primary schools (grades 1–7) and secondary schools (grades 8–12). This lays the groundwork for further education in tertiary institutions such as universities and colleges. Many people, however, never go on to study in tertiary institutions. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 2019), in 2018 only 7% of adults in South Africa had a tertiary education, far below the G20 average of 38%, thus increasing the importance of the quality and scope of the country’s basic education. This further impacts upon the type of skills and job opportunities available in a country that had an unemployment rate of 34.9% in the third quarter of 2021. (Stats South Africa 2021).

Many challenges exist within this sector including school dropouts due to teenage pregnancy, gangsterism, drug abuse and child-headed homes, as well as decaying infrastructure in various municipalities. However, the importance of education is not only stressed by parents in southern Africa, but in Africa as a whole. The challenges that come with gaining knowledge have unfortunately become the hurdles to obtaining the financial, social and intellectual freedom that comes with receiving formal instruction.

Children would probably wonder: ‘What is the use of school? What will I ever do in the future that involves Pythagoras?’ At the time, a learner might feel stressed from the constant pressure to know foreign concepts, but later on in life, one would smile when in the process of making a DIY kite or coffee table. In fact, Romanelli (2020) claims that our core beliefs are formed by the time we reach the age of seven (at the exit level for ECDs), thus school does play a major role in the way we think, feel and act. Therefore, we each would have found some sort of answer to even existential questions such as ‘do I have meaning?’ and ‘who am I?’ through the educational system and the interactions had during that timeframe.

Transmission of faith

The catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of “Human freedom in the economy of salvation: …as Christian experience attests especially in prayer, the more docile we are to the promptings of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials … the Holy Spirit educates us in spiritual freedom in order to make us free collaborators in his work in the Church and in the world.” (Catholic Church 1988: 1742).

The importance of education is not only stressed by parents in southern Africa, but in Africa as a whole

Basic education is similar to catechism as they are both fundamental foundational learning stages that help one on the route to adulthood, in one’s faith, and into the society at large. Catechism is the Christian’s form of basic education. Here, instruction is given formally and informally. This happens through classes in which the Word of God and the dogma of the Church is explained and discussed with the students on a weekly basis, as well as through ordinary Christians teaching students how to live in Jesus’s footsteps every day, practically, by way of example. What one learns here is not only head-knowledge, but heart-knowledge, therefore the work of sowing good seed can be seen as doubly important, as the remnants of the instruction one has received can have eternal implications.

The catechetical journey

Teaching and learning happen in the classroom of both a catechist and a school teacher. However, in my personal experience, I have found two differences that made the catechetical journey far different from what I experienced in the formal education system. For one, both the catechist and the catechumen are part of the learning process during classes. At times, when I would teach my catechism class, there would be certain answers that students would give to difficult questions that would broaden my own perspective on these topics. I would always walk away from the lesson of the day feeling refreshed by the encounters and the engaging conversations had. This happens because in many cases, there are no black and white scenarios; there are many grey areas to living a Christian life. This is why St Paul advises us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2: 12). Secondly, there is no such thing as a top achiever when it comes to one’s faith. One can memorize scripture and decipher ancient texts till one is blue in the face, but grace remains grace because, as St Peter discovered, “God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.” (Acts 10: 34, 35).

Catechism is an evangelical tool used by Jesus himself. At the current known location for the Sermon on the Mount, Mount Eremos, Jesus ‘…went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.’ (Matthew 5: 1, 2). He not only taught the beatitudes, but lived it out in front of both those who loved and despised him. This echoes the prayer intention made by Pope Francis in December 2021: “Let us pray for the catechists, summoned to announce the Word of God: may they be its witnesses, with courage and creativity and in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Pope Francis 2021).

Ongoing growth

“The more a person knows about the good and practises the good, the more he moves away from the slavery of sin (Rom 6: 17; 1 Cor 7: 22). God desires that such free persons should (be able to) take responsibility for themselves, for their environment, and for the whole earth.” (Cardinal Schönborn 2011).

Catechism is an evangelical tool used by Jesus himself

Learning is a life-long journey. As one grows, the knowledge obtained in one’s youth matures and deepens through experiences had at first hand and experiences learnt about through books, the news, a story told by one’s grandfather or a joke passed by a friend. One can never say that one comes to know everything. Once you have understood all that the land has to teach you, you’ll realise that there still lies an ocean, a sky and a universe full of unknown stories and wonders to discover.

YOUTH VOICES • ECO-CREATIVITY

LET’S BE REAL

The environmental crisis we are immersed in demands creative thinking. The author of this article, a young landscape architect, presents an eco-friendly proposal for transport and an innovative solution for water catchment at rest shelters in Arniston, a small village in the Western Cape of South Africa

BY JILL A. WILLIAMS | CANDIDATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, PRETORIA

GENERATION Z (those born from 1997 onwards) has shown that they are after more than words, tradition and plans. They want meaningful action that will lead to meaningful results. Gretha Thunberg, the well known Swedish climate activist, showed this in her talk at the opening plenary session of the Youth-4Climate event on 28 September 2021 in Milan, where she pointed out the discrepancies between the words used by various political figures and the promises they had made to help reduce the impact humanity has on the environment: “This is all we hear from our so called leaders: words, words that sound great but so far have led to no action, our hopes and dreams drowned in their empty words and promises,” (AFP 2021, September 29). At this event, COP26 was determined to be crucial in concretizing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aw countries “commit to limit global temperature rises to ‘well below’ 2ºC (AFP 2021, September 29). According to this source, no clear plan of action or funding model for this has been worked out yet.

Real change comes in designing for the simple moments that everyone can relate to

Another young activist, Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan who campaigns for climate justice for vulnerable communities, also took part in this event. Her contribution to this discussion was that, “we cannot eat coal, we cannot drink oil, we cannot breathe gas,” (AFP 2021, October 4). She has shown how fossil fuel dependency can be diminished in her Vash Green Schools project where solar panels and green ovens were installed in rural schools to replace traditional woodfired stoves that had a negative impact on the environment (AFP 2021, October 4). Projects like these can make a difference in the grand scheme of things, even if just by a microgram. If this is what it takes for the green movement to gain momentum and to be taken seriously, then we can and must play our role—in every sphere of our lives.

Active participation

The youth within various faith communities have also taken on the challenge. The SACBC Interdiocesan Youth Go Clean programme has been running for a number of years and has recently promoted
the Season of Creation, a month in which Catholics prayed and acted in practical ways to help care for creation. Weekly Facebook live talks were held on various topics, including Embracing Mother Earth, which was about waste management. Each day in the month of September/October, a challenge was posted on Facebook by the SACBC Youth & Young Adults Ministry to prompt youth to show how they promote sustainable practices in their daily lives. One such prompt, on day 22 was, ‘Walk instead of driving’. Imagine the amount of carbon reduction that would be possible if every Catholic stood together on that day and took up the challenge!

Another example I experienced firsthand, was at the Taizé Pilgrimage of Trust that took place in Cape Town in 2019. Each day we would have workshops and talks in smaller groups at local churches, and afterwards we would join all the pilgrims for further workshops, activities and Mass at the main venue: a tent set up on the field at St Joseph’s Marist College. Lunch and dinner were usually served to the nearly 4000 attendees at this main venue, and the major task of the collection of food scraps, the washing of dishes and general refuse management was taken on by the Green Anglicans, amongst others. This event happened on the back of a very critical period in Cape Town—the looming fear of reaching a day when all taps would run dry—the infamous Day Zero. Waste was categorized into separate bins for paper, plastic, glass and natural/ food waste. That was not all. Large skottels or washing basins with water to pre-rinse, wash and rinse one’s dishes were available for each participant to wash their dishes after meals. This grey water would then be collected in large storage tanks, to be re-used for some other purpose unknown to me (I supposed it would be cleaned or treated for re-use, possibly in irrigating the massive field). Taps were also made available strictly for use when filling one’s water bottle (volunteers were on standby to ensure no wastage occurred). I appreciated how protective they were over water.

It was the first time I had heard or seen of a faith-based group actively taking part in helping to reduce the effects humans have on the climate. I trust that it won’t be the last. A prayer service, in preparation for COP26, organized by the Green Anglicans, among other denominations and various Christian movements from Africa, can be found in the following link: https://youtu.be/E_uRQ4n-C1E.

Designing our future

As effective as this small-scale change is and can be for our future, it is also very important that we actively design for the future hoped for. I found that this is possible in practical and innovative ways, in conducting research-by-design for my dissertation, Between seeing and living: a series of landscape interventions, for enhancing the living heritage of Arniston/ Waenhuiskrans (Williams 2020), submitted in partial fulfilment of my Masters in Landscape Architecture.

Landscape Architecture understands the various layers that make up how humans interact with the environment.There are even layers to our existence, literally seen when archaeological expeditions uncover a piece of pottery or a tool from the Stone Age—the layering of strata of a soil profile or the rings displaying the age of a tree, all the way down to a grain of sand on the beach, which was once part of a mountain, or the shell of a mollusc.

The earth is made up of various landscapes and land forms, which are constantly changing and being moulded by everything that happens around us and our very own impact on it, resulting in Climate Change. Such is the case in Arniston, a coastal fishing town in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. It hosts two grade ii provincial heritage sites listed under the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), one of which is a fishing village (SAHRA, no date), a shipwreck, a cave and many other sites of importance to people in the area and to the history of the country. The town has a rich ‘living heritage’, which The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) describes as spaces where heritage and people are continually a part of one another’s daily living and functioning, in the community of place (Court 2015).

It is also very important that we actively design for the future hoped for

The town’s location along the coast, which is very visibly a place of transition and forces impacting upon each other, echoes the pattern seen in the way people (tourists and residents) move in and out of the town (even throughout history) and how they move within it. Currently, however, tourists would drive to all the major attractions, despite the fact that the town spans a radius of no more than one kilometre, and will remain so in the future, as any new developments are to happen within the existing urban edge, as specified in Cape Agulhas Municipality’s Spatial Development Framework (2017). By utilising non-motorised transport, i.e. cycling and walking to places of importance, tourists (both local and international) would be able to engage with the heritage of the town more effectively and will have more of a chance to engage with the residents of the town, who also form part of the living heritage.

In harmony with the environment

The proposal made was that of a movement sequence with a series of sheltered gathering spaces as the basis of a route taken to reach the sea, where one is able to prompt the tourist, whether local or international, to interact with various heritage, economic and social places of importance within Kassiesbaai (the heritage village within Arniston with quaint fishing houses from the 1800s that are still in use) and the town as a whole. Essentially, the basis of this proposal is the promotion of non motorized transportation, which would greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the town, particularly during peak tourist seasons.

Solar panels and green ovens were installed in rural schools to replace traditional wood-fired stoves

Zooming into this pathway to the sea, one finds sheltered spaces where one can rest, drink water or just take in the amazing atmosphere and view. This is accommodated for in the form of a seating wall or stair; shading, provided by a tree or wall, as well as water that can be accessed from a font within that wall. This water is sourced from the air and is channelled into a storage tank, also located in the wall, the thickness of which allows water to remain cool and prevents evaporation back into the air. This region is the perfect testing ground for a fog harvesting system, due to its strong winds as well as regular fog and mist occurrences (University of South Africa (UNISA) 2008). In fact, this form of water harvesting would greatly benefit any community, whether they are located in an arid, tropical or coastal region. Air simply moves through a wire mesh or strands (harp), and the microscopic water droplets in the atmosphere get caught onto this steel surface, collect and form larger droplets, and then move down the surface via gravity to a collection tank. Depending on the climate of the region and the design of the system, as well as the budgetary constraints of the project, one could use sophisticated wire nets or harps, or simply a fishing net or fishing gut, as is typically found in Kassiesbaai. The aesthetics of this system therefore took its cue from another design informant in the area: the lines put up next to the homes in Kassiesbaai to dry laundry or fish. From this, a newly introduced system could find its grounding in an archetypical element that is recognizable to the residents and would therefore very likely be used and welcomed into the community. Oftentimes, masters students start off believing they can save the world through their designs, but are humbled in the process when they realise that in the end, all that time and energy spent was probably something only a limited group of people would see or know about. It is mostly a way of shaping one’s own way of thinking and doing things. I realized, with the help of my supervisor, that sometimes, doesn’t come from an amazing 5-star, beautifully rendered design that will take trillions of dollars to realise—or a grandiose system planned to consume all the excess carbon we have pumped into the air—but rather that in designing for the simple moments that everyone can relate to, (such as how to quench one’s thirst after a long walk) one can prompt meaningful change, a real difference.