Reforming the Township

One of the signs of success for most people who have grown up or live in townships is moving to the suburbs. 

Many are the nights when we have drifted to sleep to the soundtrack of gun shots and sirens, dreaming of the day when we would have enough money to rescue us out of the townships and keep us safe in our double story apartments with swimming pools and triple garages.

But now, as the burden for the lost in our townships grows heavier on a daily basis, it is becoming dreadfully apparent that some of us might be called into a different kind of success; a success that requires us to go downward rather than upward.

After all, the Scriptures we love and uphold are replete with this ‘go down to go up’ language:

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” – James 4:10

“Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” – Matt 16:25

Furthermore, this was the glorious example of our Lord Jesus – “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Phil 2:5-11

Brothers and sisters, Township Reformers, our salvation was accomplished by a God who came down and dwelt among us. Therefore township reformation cannot thrive on the basis of occasional weekend visits to the people we desire to win to Christ. 

Are we prepared to humble ourselves, forsake our dreams of moving up to the suburbs and go down to the poor, the crippled and the lame and dwell among them? Do we have food to eat that those who need earthly comforts in order to be happy know nothing of?