Raymond Perrier's blog

I first remember hearing the name of Nelson Mandela when I was a student in England in the early 80’s. At the time, it was a mark of the political correctness of a university to name something after the world’s most famous prisoner of conscience: you would find the Mandela room, the Mandela conference centre, the Mandela dorm, even the Mandela bar!

No doubt some of the people behind that outbreak of baptising did it with integrity: they had a good understanding of the politics of the ANC and the Nats, they knew what Mandela stood for, their interest was in the real people of South Africa and not just in the celebrities. But there were also many of them – of us, since I would count myself in that number – for whom Mandela was just another famous name, alongside Madonna, Maradonna and Marley.

The noise of vuvuzelas over the last few days may not have actually woken the dead but the World Cup does seem to have awoken a once-deadened spirit of optimism in this frustrating wonderful city. I went to see a film this week called ‘Unhinged: Surviving Jo’burg’. Yes, it argues, you can survive this city and you grow through the experience. But you have to be slightly unhinged to do so.

Well, from the exuberance and celebration on every corner it seems that most inhabitants of this city are not just unhinged but positively swinging off the door frames. And what a life-affirming sight it is!

What is the connection between faith (Jerusalem) and the secular world (Athens)? The rhetorical question above was first posed by Tertullian, a 2nd Century Christian apologist. It is a question that St Paul answered by his own actions (as read from the Acts of the Apostles earlier this week). He went to the academic heart of Athens – the equivalent of Wits Senate House! – and talked to his audience about ‘the unknown God’ and about Resurrection. Their reaction is instructive: a few became believers; some burst out laughing; but the largest group were just intrigued to find out more.

As Christians, we often shy away from talking to people who do not share our views.

Our guest speaker will be Fr Gerry O’Collins SJ, who has taught hundreds of priests and dozens of bishops as well as being a writer/editor of over 50 books and, for more than 30 years has been Professor at the Gregorian University, Rome.
The dates and locations are:

Gauteng: Mazenod Centre, Germiston Tues 20th -Thurs 22nd July (from 09h30-15h00)
Bloemfontein: Donovan Hall (Cathedral) Tues 27th -Thurs 29th July (from 09h30-15h30)
Cape Town: Schoenstatt, Constantia Tues 3rd-Thurs 5th August (from 09h30-15h00)
Durban: Glenmore Pastoral Centre Tues 10th -Thurs 12th August (from 09h30-15h00)

Priests, ministers, religious and lay people are welcome to attend the course which runs during the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

It has been hard to be anywhere in South Africa, or possibly the world, in recent months and not be bombarded by the wonderfully multi-coloured band, Black Eyed Peas, singing: “I’ve got a feeling. That tonight’s gonna be a good night. That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night. A feeling….”

As the playwright Noel Coward put it: “Strange how insistent cheap music can be!”.

This question is one that is often asked in the face of immense tragedy. Where was God when the earthquake struck Haiti? Where was God in the mudslides in Madeira? Where is God when there are droughts in East Africa or floods in South East Asia? But it is also a question that we ask in the private tragedies of our own lives: in the face of the loss of a child, or the breakdown of a relationship, or the steady, dull pain of the everyday.

Lent 2010 will see our legislators receiving daily e-mailed spiritual reflections. This is a joint initiative of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) and the Jesuit Institute of South Africa. It began as an idea of Fr Peter-John Pearson for the benefit of Catholic members, but will now also be offered to MPs of other Christian denominations and other faiths.

Each day during Lent subscribers will receive an e-mail comprising of an inspirational quotation, a brief reflection and a final prayer. The format is is influenced by the highly successful Irish Jesuit website Sacred Space, which has enabled thousands of people around the world to pause briefly at their work-stations and spend a few moments in reflection and prayer.

The flow of the reflections is flexibly based on the themes from St Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. The hope is that this Ignatian approach of 'finding God in all things' (as for example in the natural world or the arts) will enable MPs to seek and experience God's presence in their work during and beyond the Lenten season. The quotations are taken from a range of sources from the scriptures through prophetic thinkers like Gandhi to contemporary secular figures such as Nelson Mandela.

A further service will be the fielding of e-mailed prayer-requests. These will be funnelled through Fr James Fitzsimons SJ to a small team of people who have undertaken to pray for the parliamentarians and their intentions.

If you would like to receive these reflections e-mail info@jesuitinstitute.org.za and enter 'sign me up' in the subject box.