I’ve lived in South Africa now for a while. This coming May will be 4 years since I first stepped into Africa. Words can’t describe how blessed I am to call this place home. This place is in every fibre of my being and I take pride knowing South Africa is where God placed me. It’s a place of beauty, culture, and God’s presence.
In the last few years, though, there’s been a lot of turmoil surrounding South Africa. Just some of the things you’ll see if you read the news: highest crime rate, farm murders and attacks, car jacking’s, xenophobia, drug and alcohol abuse sky rocketing, corruption, racism, tribalism and the list can go on and on. The previous President of South Africa didn’t make things better after he had to step down because of over 700 counts of corruption. The odds have been against South Africa. The odds have been against the people here.
There have been talks of unity and people prayed and prayed that these problems would cease. People prayed that the murders would stop. People prayed that corruption would slow down. There were meetings with over a million people around South Africa who all wanted to pray together to end the problems in our country. We knew God was working, but we didn’t know when the breakthrough would happen.
Recently, South Africa among many other countries was competing in the Rugby World Cup in Japan. I was actually at the airport the day the team left for Japan. The turnout was dismal to say the least compared to the celebrations happening now. There were a few hundred people but most, you could see, didn’t have much hope that South Africa could have a chance at winning although they are a great team.
The last time South Africa had won the championship was 12 year prior. In those 12 years, the problems that I named earlier have only increased. In those 12 years, South Africa lost a lot of hope. In those 12 years, people were more and more divided. And 12 years later, at the front of the airport to send the Springboks off, you could see that hope is what this country needed.
In the first game of the World Cup South Africa lost to New Zealand. Statistic showed that no team had won the World Cup if they lost the first game. Most South Africans expected the loss. But there were faithful fans, praying fans, who kept the spirit alive. The next game against Namibia, South Africa won. The next game against Italy, South Africa won. Then came Canada, and again South Africa won. That was the end of group stages.
South Africa finished in the top two of their bracket, along with New Zealand and had advanced to the quarterfinals. At this point, a glimmer of hope was on the horizon. South Africa was again, amongst the top teams. There was doubt, but I can tell you from being here at this time, hope kept this team and country alive.
The quarterfinal game was against Japan. This game was sloppy. There were times where South Africa could have lost the game, but they kept going and won. The semifinal game was against Wales, and again, South Africa won.
At this stage, this country was again beaming with pride. Our boys had lost the first game of the World Cup and now would play England in the World Cup Final. The whole country was abuzz. It was an amazing experience to watch how people around the country started to rally for each other. The slogan of the Springboks (South Africa’s Rugby Team) is #StrongerTogether.
This slogan was meant for a sporting event, but what the Springboks didn’t realize is that this message was what South Africa needed: that we are #StrongerTogether. For the first time since I moved here, there was a spirit in the air that I had never experienced before. Different culture, different races, and different backgrounds were finally coming together because people were realizing that we are #StrongerTogether.
The day of the finals came, and I needed to run an errand at the mall near our house. As soon as I got to the mall, tears nearly filled my eyes. People were all wearing the green and gold of the South Africa Springboks. There were people waving and smiling at each other. The spirit of Unity was in the air. The Springboks all the way in Japan didn’t realize but just by making it to the final, they were unifying a nation.
If you had asked South Africans on the day of the final if they thought they would end the day as World Cup Champions, most would have had a hint of doubt in their voice. England was favored because they beat the All Blacks, New Zealands beloved team. As the game started, tears were in the player’s eyes as they sang the national anthem. Again, 12 years later, they were in the final.
South Africans showed up in all places around the country. Watch parties were held. Streets were filled with people. The country was painted gold and green. For the first time in years, South Africa was coming together for one cause. The day of the final, it didn’t matter if you were Zulu, Sepedi, Sotho, Boere, or XKhosa – it only mattered that we were South African. That we are #StrongerTogether.
Half time came and South Africa was winning. People lined up outside restaurants with TV’s and watched history take place for this country. A try was scored that will go down in South Africa’s history and within minutes a second try was scored to put South Africa more than 15 points ahead of England with only 7 minutes left in the game. There was clapping and cheering as the TV showed the trophy being engraved with South Africa’s name before the game was even over.
As the final seconds ticked down, tears formed in my eyes. South Africa had won the World Cup. But it wasn’t just a World Cup they had won – the Springboks had begun unified a nation. As I looked around the place where we watched, people were dancing from all backgrounds chanting green and gold. On the way home that day, cars started honking and cheering out the window. It was unity like I had never seen before.
As we drove home that day, I said out loud, it felt like a new breath had swooped over South Africa. It felt like a breath of fresh air. For the first time in a long time, people are starting to realize that we really are #StrongerTogether. If you were in South Africa any time in the last week, you will say the same – this was bigger than a game, this was about people and about the beloved South Africa, the rainbow nation that can be strong if we are unified.
In Ephesians 4, it talks about unity. In verse 15 and 16 it states, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
I think this perfectly describes South Africa. We are different, but we can help each other work together. We have different cultures, but we want to help each other grow. There’s already a lot working against South Africa Africa, but this win from the World Cup has brought out similarities within each people group.
In the days that have followed, I have witnessed beautiful unity on the streets and in restaurants where black, white, coloured, asian and Indian are not staying away from each other but are working together and helping each other. It truly feels like hope has swept over this country. And to think God is using a rugby game to show people the we are indeed #StrongerTogether
