July 2008

Anathoth is the headquarters of Africa Upper Room Ministries. On five acres of land near Johannesburg, South Africa, it takes its name from the Jeremiah passage in which land at Anathoth is purchased as a sign of hope for the future. Anathoth is, for Upper Room Ministries, a sign of hope for the future of Africa. This newsletter from staff-person Roland Rink brings news from this important ministry.

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"Hospitality"

"Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say, I came as a guest, and you received me. And to all let due honour be shown. ... In reception of the poor and of pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received." - The Rule of Saint Benedict

Dependent upon where you find yourself on planet Earth, midwinter or midsummer greetings to all of you!

The events of the past weeks in South Africa, and at the Anathoth property have been cause for much thought -- hence the topic for this July edition of the Anathoth Newsletter. [AP News article about events in South Africa.]

The reprehensible xenophobic attacks perpetrated by a minority group of South Africans on foreign people (almost exclusively Africans) living in South Africa has shaken the belief that South Africans are a hospitable nation. We have been shamed by the actions of a handful of fellow citizens. In some profound way, the violent and disgraceful behavior of this small segment of South African society has laid bare the true nature of our society. In a few short weeks we have learnt that all South Africans do not share the same sentiments with regards to the spirit of Ubuntu, hospitality and the concept of a "rainbow nation."

However, we are proud to say that Christian churches of all denominations (as did other faith traditions) immediately, and without question or debate "stepped into the gap" to provide a safe sanctuary, food and clothing for the thousands of men, women and children displaced by the needless violence. The Christian church community in South Africa showed a real understanding of the meaning of the word hospitality by welcoming the stranger.

We were reminded again that hospitality is an essential spiritual practice. Hospitality always begins with an open mind which is generous and receptive to others. It means looking for the positive in people, in their ideas and dreams. As difficult as it may sometimes seem, we are called as Christians to hold the entire world, without exception, in a loving embrace.

Albert Camus once wrote "Nothing is true that forces me to exclude." So it should be with us.

We pray that out of the bad will come good. That we have learnt a great deal about ourselves as a society, and that we as the Christian community will engage with people and urgently address the fundamental cause of the intolerance, envy and greed which has been shown by some of our people.

In stark contrast to the events happening around us, the staff of Africa Upper Room Ministries based at Anathoth were delighted to offer hospitality and a warm welcome to a number of visitors to our part of the vineyard:

• We received a group led by Juanita Hobbs and Rev. Rob Huckaby from Brentwood United Methodist Church in Nashville. They were on their way to the opening of a new church near Howick in KwaZulu Natal which they have helped build over the past few years, but wanted to spend some of their valuable time with us.
• We were also blessed by what has almost become an annual visit from the Stotler family from 1st Atlanta United Methodist Church. The insights and perceptions of visitors is always a valuable gift to us, and Elliott, Katherine, Emily and Cason continue to take an active interest in our welfare and future.
• We've had visits from some of our staff members based in Nashville as well. Rev. George Donigian (Director of our Discipleship Resources Book Division) was with us en route back to the USA from the Cape Book Fair, and Rev. Kelvin Sauls (Congregational Leaders) who was on a holiday trip back home here in South Africa.
• We also received a visit from Cheryl Pillay and the people of Come Back Mission based in Eldorado Park. CBM continue to put the very limited facilities at Anathoth to good use and have become an integral, yet independent part of our ever-expanding team.
• As it's the winter school holiday period in South Africa right now, we're delighted to have Zanele, Buntle and Anathoth making their young and youthful presence felt around the property when we gather for meetings.
• We visited with Rev. Neil Oosthuizen and some members of the translation team for the Malihambe Bible Series to give George Donigian an opportunity to share some of his knowledge and publishing experience with us. The Malihambe Bible Series is an important work in progress and will offer more than 20,000 local preachers in South Africa a body of work incorporating a Bible Commentary in their own language, which is really affordable, that is easily understood, and readily available. We plan to launch the first volume at the Methodist Conference in Bloemfontein in September.
• Ralph Willcox, our new staff person in the Western Cape attended the AURM staff meeting this past week at Anathoth. We're delighted to welcome Ralph into the AURM family and look forward with much anticipation to the gifts and wisdom he will bring to the collective efforts especially in the Cape Town area.
• We also welcomed our accountant, Renny Stoltz back after a well deserved holiday in "sunny" KwaZulu Natal where there was local flooding after incessant rain during June.
• The praying, discerning and planning for development of the Anathoth property continues apace with meetings scheduled with architects and engineers in the coming weeks.
• Sales of Upper Room and Discipleship Resource books continue at a good and steady rate. Subscriptions to The Upper Room daily devotional magazine seem to increase on a weekly basis. The latest African country to be included in our ever-growing African distribution network is Ethiopia.

What is certain, whatever development of the Anathoth property takes place, is that Anathoth will continue the longstanding tradition of Christian monasteries of taking in strangers as if they were Christ. We will have an open door policy to those in need. In doing so we will heed the advice found in Hebrews 13:2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Perhaps it is this Christian tradition and spiritual practice of hospitality that goes against the grain of the post-modern world. Perhaps it is what we have witnessed in South Africa recently where there still seems to be such great antagonism, fear, distrust and even hatred of strangers.

We're reminded by scripture of how hospitable Jesus always seemed to be. He entertained the wealthy and the poor, the disenfranchised and those involved in demeaning and menial work. Tax collectors, prostitutes, the lame and the lowly. All, without exception, received hospitality from Christ.

"Hospitality is the way we come out of ourselves. It is the first step towards dismantling the barriers of the world. Hospitality is the way we turn a prejudiced world around, one heart at a time. It binds the world together." -Joan Chittister

Do we hear someone knocking on the door?

We go forward,
Roland