Community spreads the love more visibly
Despite all the current negativity in the country, there are people who care and want to show their love and support more visibly.
It is safe to say that the morale of South Africans has been at an all-time low over the past few weeks – looting, corruption, collapsing municipal infrastructure, unemployment, the rise in violence and rising Covid-19 death tolls are enough reasons to crawl under your bed and never come out.
Despite all this negativity, there are people who care and want to show their love and support more visibly. They are ordinary citizens from different backgrounds, races, and Christian denominations who want to pray for their fellow residents.
Amanda Kruger is one of these residents. In December, she and her husband were hospitalised after being diagnosed with Covid-19. She recovered but, sadly, her husband, Ben Kruger, passed away on 16 January. She has firsthand experience of the virus and the devastation it leaves behind. Now, she wants to pray for patients who are suffering from the virus and the loneliness of lockdown.
Two weeks ago, Amanda posted an open invitation on her Facebook page to invite everyone who wants to join her in prayer and song. “In spite of the bitter cold, the interest of the public was great,” says Amanda. At 18:00 on Friday, 23 July, almost 40 people joined her at Mediclinic Potchefstroom, including members from the Biker’s Church. After Mediclinic, they went to Mooimed Hospital and ended at Potchefstroom Hospital. Pastor Willie Bruwer took the lead with the prayers and everyone sang along to the beat of three gospel songs that were broadcast on a loudspeaker. Nurses and hospital staff at Potchefstroom Hospital joined them. It was heartwarming.
Amanda says they are planning another prayer session at Mediclinic on Friday, 13 August. They will start at 18:00 again. She also invites the public to phone her at 082 785 3475 if there is a need at other places.
Another group that also had the urge to reach out to their fellow residents is the Potchefstroom Church Leaders (PCL) organisation. Not only do they pray for residents daily, but this group of pastors, bishops, and reverends from Potchefstroom and Ikgageng recently had the urge to proclaim God’s presence in a Biblical gesture by blowing on horns (shofars), the way the Israelites did when they walked around the City of Jericho.
At 15:00 on Sunday, 4 July, pastors Jacob Mofokeng, Johan Zerwick, Thabiso Mokoto, and Bishop Elias Modise assembled and went to all three hospitals, where they prayed and blew their shofars for the patients and hospital staff. “This is our gesture to chase away the Angel of Death around our hospitals”, says Zerwick.
More members of the PCL joined the following Sundays. They walked around MooiRivier Mall, River Walk, and Ikageng Mall, praying for calm and protection. “The reaction of the people in Ikageng was amazing. Everywhere we went, the people hooted, shouted, and waved,” says Zerwick.
The PCL has also included a prayer trip to Promosa this past Sunday (1 August) and invited members of the community to join them at Promosa’s community hall. He adds that the members of the PCL are also members of Ministry@Work that serves people at their workplace, should they need spiritual strength at work. For more information, call Zerwick at 083 458 3837.
