It is easy to feel despondent these days when one sees what is happening in world politics. It seems that the Western world is becoming progressively more right wing. With populism on the rise, and extremism dominating our discourse, reconciliation and peaceful multiculturalism seem like a pipe dream. That saddens me deeply. I have laboured... Continue Reading →
Decolonising the Curriculum
One of the big questions in South African education at the moment is how to “decolonise” the curriculum. It is a question that has been around for decades, but has been gaining traction lately, thanks to the recent student protests. It is, I believe, absolutely essential to address this issue if any meaningful form of... Continue Reading →
Written in the Stars
nThe relationship between people and stars is a strange one. We depict them as symbols of hope and aspiration: “Reach for the stars”; “You are a star!”; “stars in her eyes”. Gazing up at them is both a terrifying and a comforting experience for me. The knowledge that the starlight has traversed trillions of miles... Continue Reading →
Don’t Save The Last Dance For Me
I dislike dancing, which is sad, really, because I am a sociable person, and it is a prerequisite skill in many social contexts. I am quite possibly the worst dancer in the world. If somebody decided to make a reality show entitled So You Think You Can’t Dance, I would win it by a country... Continue Reading →
Phoenix
“The moon!”, said Nathan, my three year-old son. We were standing on the porch in the early October evening. I was a little self-conscious, because he had been insisting on running around without any pants and the neighbours’ house is on a slight rise, overlooking ours. “I see two moons,” I remarked. I couldn’t help... Continue Reading →
Where Faith and Nihilism Meet
When I published Teddy a couple of weeks ago, one of my friends commented that its nihilistic outlook and my Christian faith might seem at odds. My response was that I believe that nihilism and faith are not so far removed from each other as it might seem. The concept of Nihilism is largely... Continue Reading →
Stuck in the Middle
I’ve tried, I really have, but I still cannot understand the appeal of long distance running. Most participants know from the outset that they have absolutely no chance of winning, and surely the declaration of a winner is the reason a race exists? And you cannot argue that the joy is to be found not... Continue Reading →
Saying Goodbye to Gran
I am not convinced that God interferes in the affairs of men nearly as much as we think He does, but if I were a little less cynical I could be persuaded that God had His hand in the opportunity I had to visit my grandmother yesterday. I had travelled 1200km from Johannesburg to run... Continue Reading →
Towards Reciprocal Recognition: Some Thoughts on Being White
In his Phenomenology of Spirit, Georg Hegel suggests that we only come to know ourselves through the way that we believe others perceive us, and that the motivation behind many of our actions is the attempt to assert an individuality that frees us from the objectifying views others hold of us. In other words, our... Continue Reading →
Life Begins at 40
My friend, Estelle, summed it up best when she found out it was my 41st birthday yesterday: “Is it your birthday today? I am not sure whether to offer congratulations or condolences!” Whoever said that life begins at 40 was quite obviously mistaken. I have given it a year now – I am not the... Continue Reading →
Vapors In The Wind 