After class we ate lunch and then walked to the District Six Museum. The Museum is on Buitenkant Street, which is the cutoff line of the white territory according to Alan Storey. Because after the Buitenkant Street was on the edge of town, away from natural resources, like water and was designated as not quality area. However, as the town expanded, then the forceful removal of people in the District Six area occurred. Yet, people did not want to move into that neighborhood and so, it was bulldozed for no good reason. The Museum was the old Methodist Church that Alan Storey went to …show more content…
According to Noor District Six was a diverse neighborhood filled with blacks, Indians, Muslims, Christians, Jews and for the most part everyone got along. Besides Noor telling us about his life in District Six, then he had Jens read a passage from his book. The short passage explained how his carrier Pigeons went back to his home in District Six. Home is such a powerful concept. There was a quote on the wall that best sums what home is, “It struck me that our history is contained in the homes we live in, that we are shaped by the ability of these simple structures to resist being defiled” by Achmat Dango. It is understandable why people over the age of twenty-five might still fear and have traumatic experiences from the apartheid era. However, Noor made it clear he does not resent white people and he has forgiven them. In a similar manner as Nelson Mandela and reminding people that the only way to move forward is to forgive, but it is difficult to forget.
After the District Six Museum we visited a Fort. The fort was a tribute to the political and military history of South Africa. There were lots of military uniforms and the evolution over time. In addition, medals and different military weapons, both swords and …show more content…
First, we talked about Alan Storey’s sermon he gave a while back. Storey is contextualizing some tragic events at the time including, killings at Alexandra, Ramaphosaville, Reiger Park with texts in the bible to help shed light on the recent events. Storey also opens his sermon by stating, “We will find words that hold our pain, deepen our understanding, despair and fill us with hope.” In other words, in spite of the fact that terrible and tragic incidents are occurring, Storey is saying we still should have hope. I will admit there were times on the trip I could not believe even after people had suffered home invasion or other tragic events, South African’s continue to have a belief in God and there is hope. The confidence and hopefulness was inspiring especially when I was overwhelmed with all the problems happening in South Africa. The killings that occurred at the time where in relation to Xenophobia and so Storey relates this to the Deuteronomy verse stating: “[God], who executes justice for the orphan and the widow and who loves the strangers- providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” So God commands that we love our neighbors and to be open to strangers in the