broken monk

Volksrust Recorder - Column / Rubrieke8 Recorder 13 January 2017

ChangeYourStory

With Jacques de Villiers

JOKInspirational

~Mr John Oscar Kubeka,Cell : 072 0796 796, Fax:086 544 7844Email: jokubeka@yahoo.com ~

Master yourways

If you want to achieve the best, you mustfirst learn to master your ways to becomesuccessful. Many try to copy what otherpeople do and when they fail, you also failbecause you have forgotten to master yourways. Take each step slowly to enhanceyour great abilities. Don’t rush, take yourtime when you want to get the best in life.Be simple towards life. Look upon yourways and never change your good deeds.In case you think you might miss somesteps, invite God to take part in your life. Ibelieve you can, it’s just the problem to be

able tell yourself that you were born toconquer no matter what. Master your ways,in a few years to come you will be countedamongst the greatest achievers in theuniverse.

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Broken Monk

~ Jacques de Villiers ~

Last week I wrote an article for thispublication about Greg Mortenson, authorof Three Cups of Tea. I dug a bit deeper thisweek and found out that his book containedfabrications. And that he mismanaged thecharity he co-founded. I’m so jaded to thefrailties of the human condition that this bitof news didn’t even disappoint me. Brokenmonks are all around us. It’s the new normal.What intrigues me more than our acceptanceof the brokenness is how does someone withlofty ideals and good intentions falter andfall. The first broken monk I came acrosswas my own father. He was an ordainedDutch Reformed Minister. I’m assuming thatall he wanted to do was preach God’s wordand help his community. He ended uphaving an affair when my mother waspregnant with me and divorced her when Iwas only a year old. I’ve seen and readabout sheikhs, imams, rabbis, pastors andpriests that have fallen at the alter of lustand lucre. I think we’ve all read about greatmen and women that have faltered andfailed when it comes to the moral highground. Our own president, Jacob Zuma isan example. He has captured (or caused) themood of our time - disillusionment, disgust,uncertainty and disappointment. This mancouldn’t have started out to become corruptand self-serving, could he? I’m sure thatlike most well-intentioned individuals hewanted to serve his community. I’ve heardthat he was a major influence in stoppingthe bloodshed in the war between theInkatha Freedom Party and the AfricanNational Conference in KZN, in the early90s. There’s no doubt that due to his efforts,he saved countless lives and is owed a debtof gratitude for this and more. Did presidentRobert Mugabe of Zimbabwe set out to

become one of the worst mass murderers ofthe 20th Century? More than 20 000 Ndbelewere massacred in the early 80s under hiswatch. Did he set out to turn the ‘breadbasket’ of Africa into the dustbowl of Africa?I doubt it. I think he genuinely wanted toserve his people. Why do some CEOs lie,cheat and steal? Why do some teachersmolest and rape those under their care? Whydo some doctors rip off medical aids andtheir patients? I have to believe that in thebeginning their intentions were good. I haveto believe that they were working towardssomething bigger and purer thanthemselves. I have to believe that theystarted their enterprises because they putothers first. Of course, I need to take thelog out of my own eye before I take thesplinter out of anybody else’s eye. I’m nosaint and I’ve faltered and fallen more timesthan I care to remember. I suppose I cansleep at night because my actions don’timpact on millions. Of course, the reality isthat I don’t sleep well at night because guilt,disappointment and disgust gnaw at mysoul. I’m the harshest judge of me.Mortenson, Mugabe, Zuma and de Villiersare all human failings. Is this the lot of thehuman stain since being expelled from theGarden of Eden? Are we programmed tofalter and fail when it comes to morality?Heck, I hope not. What gets me out of bedin the morning is knowing that even brokenmonks still manage to do good for others.So, even though we limp and crawl throughthis existence we are still useful. Now justimagine what we could do if we all stooderect and claimed our true and pure monk.There’s a thought that I cherish.

Muurbal nuusOns klub kampioenskappe begin weer opdie 6e Februarie, almal wat belangstel moetvoor 30 Januarie n epos aan een van die

komitee lede stuur, of vir John Venterkontak by john@volksrust.com~ TG ~

* Evangeliese Gereformeerde Kerk se nuwe herderspaar. Proponent Ruan en Lorindavan Vuuren. Proponent Van Vuuren word op 21 Januarie 2017 georden en ontvang indie gemeente. Die verrigtinge begin om 15h00.

Nuwe herderspaarvir EvangeliesGereformeerde kerk