Dear Friends,

Recently, the United States deported five individuals originally from Laos, Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba and Yemen to Eswatini. This followed earlier deportations in which eight migrants from various countries were sent to South Sudan, after a court lifted restrictions on removals to countries with which the individuals had no personal ties.

What surprised me was the…

Dear friends,

A few weeks ago, I mentioned in one of my letters how pleasantly surprised I was during my visit to the Sant’Egidio community in Rome. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with their local priest, Zeger Polhuijs. We shared a coffee and walked through their remarkable building, the Mozes & Aäronkerk on the Waterlooplein. As we know, buildings often reflect the theology that underpins them…..

Dear Friends,

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to hear Sam Wells, the Anglican priest of St Martin-in-the-Fields, speak at De Waalse Kerk. His talk, titled “Faith in the Public Square,” was deeply inspiring. Drawing on the book of Isaiah, Sam offered a compelling reflection on the role of the church in contemporary society.

He outlined Isaiah’s vision as fourfold:

(i) a society that is truly for everyone;

(ii) a society grounded in values that endure;

(iii) a society in which relationships—rooted in trust—are central; and

(iv) a society that leaves room for mistakes, recognising that those who have failed often have the most to contribute.

Reflecting on how the church might relate to such a vision, Sam suggested three possibilities.

Dear Friends,

For some time now, I’ve been observing a growing trend in the fashion industry and retail spaces. The lines are becoming more distinct, the colour palettes more muted: beige, white, soft browns dominating the scene. 

One large fashion brand in particular has become synonymous with this minimalist aesthetic: pristine white walls, clean edges, thin lettering almost vanishing into the background. If you glance too quickly, you might miss it entirely (if it weren't for the bright white lights!). 

The store on Kalverstraat is often too crowded to notice the details, but their outlet at the Cape Town waterfront feels like something else altogether. It’s like stepping into an oversized clinical theatre. It’s striking how we’ve come to embrace this streamlined, minimalist style. Not that I’m trying to pass myself off as a fashion critic; I’m far from it. And I know that minimalism is a thoroughly studied, even celebrated, topic in fashion conversations. As a kid growing up in my gran’s delightfully cluttered 90s home, I totally get it.

But what intrigues me…..

Dear Friends,

This week I had the wonderful privilege of visiting Rome with a diverse group of people from across society. Together, we tried to connect with different communities in the city, to listen to their stories, and to link them to our own search for hope.

Among the communities we visited was the Community of Sant’Egidio, founded in 1968. Their hope is simple and profound: to pay attention to the periphery and to those who live on the margins. They gather people of all ages and backgrounds, drawn together by a shared commitment to the Gospel and a free, voluntary service to the poor and to peace. They speak of three reference points: prayer, the poor, and peace. These aren’t abstract ideals—they are lived realities in the life of the community. A school for refugees, a free hospital, and a vibrant evening prayer are just a few ways these pillars take flesh.

We met in a room that, for me, carried great significance. On October 4, 1992, in this very space, Joaquim Chissano, then president of Mozambique and secretary of FRELIMO, and Afonso Dhlakama, leader of RENAMO, signed a General Peace Agreement that brought an end to 16 years of civil war. A million people had died. Over four million were displaced. And yet, peace became possible in that room.

Hanging there is a striking painting of St. Francis wrestling with a wolf. It’s a familiar story and image, but in this version, the scene is set in a modern city. The legend tells of a wolf that terrorised the town of Gubbio - killing livestock, attacking residents, impossible to defeat or tame. St. Francis approached the beast, made the sign of the cross, and was attacked. He repeated the gesture, and the wolf became calm, laying its head in his hands. From that moment, Francis called him “brother wolf.”

Those who admire St. Francis in the Sant’Egidio community were quick to say that the story likely didn’t happen quite that way. It’s more likely that Francis encountered a violent, feared man—a bandit, a figure others…

Dear Friends,

Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?

That’s the question the men in white robes asked just after Jesus ascended. A rhetorical question, no doubt. Honestly, if I had witnessed something like that, I’d be staring straight up too, probably not blinking. It’s hard to blame the disciples for getting lost in the moment.

But the question still echoes: why are you looking up at heaven? What are you waiting for? Who are you expecting? It’s the old question, really. The Psalmist asked it too: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?”

Reading through the…..

Dear friends,

About two weeks ago, I had a rather sobering moment while exchanging my South African driver’s license for a Dutch one. Standing at the Gemeente desk, I handed over my documents, only to be met with a concerned look from the clerk. “This is not a recent photo,” he said, eyeing my passport pictures with quiet judgment. I assured him they were recent. How could they not be, given the endless photo-taking required for visa applications these past months? But he wasn’t convinced. Pointing to the solemn expression on my face in the picture, he said, “You are much older now than in this photo... even your hair was….

Dear friends,

This coming Sunday, we will end our worship with the beautiful hymn 710, “I have a dream, a man once said.” The words, of course, echo Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech. Yet they speak powerfully into our worship context and resonate deeply with John’s vision in Revelation 21 (our 2nd reading for Sunday): 

“I have a dream,” a man once said,

“where all is perfect peace;

where men and women, black and white,

stand hand in hand, and all unite

in freedom and in love.”

But in this world of bitter strife

the dream can often fade;

reality seems dark as night,

we catch but glimpses of the light

Christ sheds on humankind….

Dear Friends,

I love the stories that emerge from our congregation and want to share them more widely. So, instead of our weekly minister’s letter, you’ll find a poem by Wendie Shaffer titled Mayday Resurrections. Going forward, we’ll feature biweekly contributions from members—art, photos, writing, poetry. Our creativity thrives in community. If you have something on your heart, please send it my way.

All the best, Marius

==============

Mayday resurrections

the air is crisp and cool

across the river, the low line of houses sleeps

soft wind ruffles the water

lifts small peaky triangles

it is still dark…..

Dear friends, 

In his beautiful book Dare We Speak About Hope, theologian and politician Allan Boesak speaks about the nature of Christian hope as “hope against hope” (Rom. 4:18). To make his point, he draws on the Khoikhoi conception of God as Tsui//Goab – the god who fought against evil and emerged limping. For Boesak, this image powerfully aligns with biblical depictions of God as one who suffers in solidarity. God is not, first and foremost, omnipotent and detached, but “limping beside [God’s] wounded children,” sharing in their pain. Hope, in this image, is not about denial of pain, but about divine solidarity. Our God, says Boesak, is the “God with the wounded knee.” We can relate this to the story of Jacob wrestling with God at the Jabbok (Gen. 32). This same God later shows Thomas his wounds and prepares breakfast for the disciples on the beach after the resurrection.

Hope emerges from places of woundedness. In fact….