Human Rights Day in South Africa, celebrated on 21 March, is a time to reflect on the dignity, freedom and equality all human beings are entitled to. While human rights are often discussed in legal and political terms, their foundation can be traced back to the Bible, which offers a powerful framework for justice, equality and the inherent worth of every individual.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. This period lasts forty days leading up to Easter, not including Sundays. For many Christians, these forty days are a time of deep introspection and self-reflection. Also known as the season of Lent, this period traditionally involved abstaining from meat and sweet treats or indulgences.
The year 2024 marked a transformative period for both the broader socio-political landscape and the Bible Society of South Africa (BSSA). Guided by the theme The Word as a Guide in the Winds of Change, the organisation adeptly navigated numerous challenges with unwavering faith and strategic innovation. Our commitment to our vision and mission—providing every South African with access to a Bible in their heart language—has been ongoing for over 204 years.
As we head into the Christmas season, a time of joy, celebration, and fellowship, what better way to reflect on the past year and draw up plans for the future than to extract the message of hope scattered throughout the pages of God’s Word?
For many, the festive season does not inspire excitement, conviction and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. It is often the opposite, as feelings of hopelessness and despair overwhelm the cheerful festive spirit.
At the tender age of five, Renchia Rhyn spoke to God for the first time. Renchia was living in a house that doubled as a shebeen in Vredesvallei in the Northern Cape, an area where alcohol abuse is rife. On her way to school one morning, she overheard two women having a conversation that would stay with her for a long time. “Ask God to help you. God can change your life,” she remembers the one mom advising her friend.
For Seth Meyers, sharing the Gospel with the Tsonga people of rural Limpopo, South Africa, was not only a mission but a calling rooted in a deep love for Jesus and a passionate desire to see lives transformed by the Word of God. His journey as an evangelist began as a young boy in a small town in Pennsylvania, USA. Raised in a Christian home, Seth heard a sermon at the age of 11 that would change the course of his life. The words, “If you want to be saved from hell, you must believe in the Son of God,” planted a seed that would eventually lead him across the globe to remote villages of South Africa.
Heritage Day, celebrated on 24 September, is a significant day set aside for South Africans to celebrate and honour the rich and varied cultures, languages and narratives that form the foundation of our eclectic nation. This day also resonates deeply with themes found in the Bible, particularly the celebration of diversity and the importance of community. In Genesis, the creation of humanity reflects the divine intention for diversity. Specific biblical passages remind us that all people are made in the image of God, suggesting that every culture, language and heritage embodies a unique facet of this divine image.
You’ve spent a lifetime building your legacy. You have strived to help as many people as you could. Maybe your greatest joy was telling people about the Gospel, God’s sacrificial work and his son Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice for all humanity. Maybe you wish that you were more emboldened to share the Good News with those you met during your lifetime. Do you wish you had more time to accomplish all you’ve set out to do? All your life you’ve cherished the Bible and how its values guided you through your life, times of happiness, difficulty, uncertainty, sorrow, and despair.
