This man receiveth sinners
By Job Bolier
He nearly explodes with anger. His hands start to shake, he stands up, walks away, and then comes back a moment later. I see Katlego pacing up and down his mkhukhu, his shack. The accusation of house robbery doesn’t sit well with him. “I know one thing for sure! I didn’t do it, and I haven’t ever done it!” Katlego grows increasingly angry. This isn’t going well, I think to myself. We try to calm him down together, but to no avail.
accused
It happened after Bible class today. One of the patrollers, community officers, stopped me when I was on my way to take everyone home. Katlego was accused right in the middle of the street, in front of a car full of people. His record isn’t exactly clean to begin with: a life of drug use with the wrong crowd, caught in a web of lies. And he knows it very well. But here, in public, his name is being dragged through the mud even more. Katlego himself isn’t there. I listen to the accusation, I see the people around me shaking their heads and muttering.
What now?
“What do you do when you’re accused of something you didn’t do?” I ask the two young men. Tisetso replies, “Then you go to the person who is accusing you. It’s better to take the first step, instead of them coming to you.” Katlego calms down a bit and agrees. “Let’s go to the woman together. But promise me one thing, don’t start a fight.” I’ve already witnessed that in the past, and that certainly isn’t the solution.
Visit
We set off together and sit down at the patroller's house. Maria, a mother, is not easily frightened. Her eyes spit fire as the conversation begins. I try to stay out of the way a bit and let them sort it out themselves. By now, I know how things are done here. There’s a rapid exchange of words. A mix of English, Zulu, and Sepedi. I pick up a few things here and there. One of Katlego’s shady friends has mentioned his name in connection with a burglary. Therefore it’s true. Period. When the dust settles, we both conclude that this accusation is very shaky and completely without any evidence. Katlego remains very calm. Tisetso helps where necessary. And so we talk our way out of this awkward situation and agree that Katlego will no longer hang out with these shady friends. Somewhere towards the end of the conversation, the patroller turns to Katlego and Tisetso. My Sepedi is just good enough to understand what she’s saying. “Why is this missionary associating with those tsotsis (criminals)? People in Refilwe are talking about him; if he’s hanging out with criminals, then he must be a criminal himself. He’d better stay away from them.”
Greatest compiment
But my heart leaps for joy! I think of,
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? (Matthew 9:9-11)
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:2)
“Maria, may I say something?” She agrees and looks at me questioningly. “You’re giving me the greatest compliment you could possibly give me! Wasn’t the same said of Jesus? He too was accused of associating with criminals, because most people didn’t want to have anything to do with them. But Jesus sought them out and ate with them. It was precisely such people who understood that they were full of sin. If the Lord Jesus did that, what should I do?’
