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Put community interest above self-interest to rescue the metro
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 18th September 2023
Source: TCN / Neville Goldman
Date Added: 2023-09-18
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Church Unity,
Date Added: 2023-09-18
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Church Unity,
Are you not tired of the bickering and internal squabbles among the people of Nelson Mandela Bay?
The constant rivalry and showing off for each other?
If you look around the metro, you will see so many talents and skills and so much potential that seem to be wasted and misdirected.
Everyone seems to be only looking out for themselves and trying to get ahead at the expense of others. It has become a selfish city, where self-interest trumps community.
Churches divide over the smallest disagreements instead of uniting over their common beliefs.
Politicians instigate division and appeal to our basest instincts to gain power instead of bringing people together with a common vision.
The result is a city full of fragmentation, mistrust and unfulfilled promises.
But it does not have to be that way.
By replacing self-interest with common interest, rivalry with partnership, and division with unity, we can tap into the greatness that lies within our metro and finally achieve the success that has always seemed out of reach.
The key is to put the "we" over the "I"
This rivalry has to stop.
The question is: “How can we put an end to it?”
The self-interests of political parties must come first [last].
If you are elected, your role in shaping the metro is one of shared vision.
If you are a city councillor, your loyalty should shift from your political party to the people in your ward, whatever their political persuasion.
Coalitions will only work in our metro when those involved move toward a common vision.
Believe me, it is a task of great maturity to unite people's minds around a vision, even though there are vested interests.
Maturity accepts that I am not at the helm, but there will be a next time.
I am part of the team and will be a team player in the interest of the people in the metro.
Every politician is also a citizen and must bring safety, security and prosperity to the citizens.
If this is not happening in my ward in the metro, then as a council member you need to ask yourself – “what am I doing?”
If this is not happening in 60 wards in our metro, then councillors we need to ask themselves “what are we doing or not doing?”
At the end of the day, it's about jobs! It's about safety and security!
The church also has an important role to play. The church cannot afford division in this period of instability in the metro.
If we can accept that it takes more than one church to bless our metro, we will agree on a common vision and shared beliefs and celebrate our strength in diversity.
It is in our best interest as a church to ensure that the people of the ward in which we are situated experiences safety, security and prosperity.
Overcoming division requires humility, forgiveness, and compromise - qualities that are often lacking when self-interest rules.
But if we focus on the big picture, listen to different points of view, and seek unity instead of assertiveness, churches can overcome disunity and once again thrive in purpose and mission.
It is a challenge to set aside one's own interests for the good of the community, but the rewards of a harmonious, effective church far outweigh the hardships.
Together, the people of God can accomplish great things.
Going it alone may seem like the best approach in a selfish metro, but it often leads to failure.
When individuals isolate themselves and act only in their own self-interest, the community suffers.
When we work together, we can achieve more than the sum of our individual efforts.
By pooling their knowledge, skills and resources, groups are able to look at problems from multiple perspectives and come up with innovative solutions.
Teamwork also leads to a sense of shared purpose and motivation.
When churches, legislators, municipal officials, and communities come together to make decisions that benefit everyone equally, it leads to unity, prosperity, and success.
Promoting inclusion and overcoming greed are challenging but necessary to achieve the common good.
By listening to all voices and empowering the marginalised, we can become a thriving "selfless city".
So, what is there to take away here?
We turn first to the Bible: “Jesus supernaturally discerned their thoughts and motives and therefore told them this parable: ‘Every kingdom that fights against itself will be reduced to ruins.
‘And every family or community divided by strife will fall apart. So, when Satan casts out Satan, he is waging war against himself.
‘Then how could his kingdom stand?’” (Matthew 12: 25-26
Simply put, a city at odds with itself cannot stand.
The "me first" mentality leaves us all worse off in the end.
But there is hope — we can choose a different path.
We can choose to put aside petty differences and work for the good of all.
We can promote understanding instead of division, cooperation instead of competition.
It starts with each of us making the decision to put the interests of the community above self-interest.
Together, we have the power to build a thriving metro where the success of each contributes to the success of all.
The future remains unwritten - what story will we tell?
Apostle Neville Goldman
Ebenezer International
The constant rivalry and showing off for each other?
If you look around the metro, you will see so many talents and skills and so much potential that seem to be wasted and misdirected.
Everyone seems to be only looking out for themselves and trying to get ahead at the expense of others. It has become a selfish city, where self-interest trumps community.
Churches divide over the smallest disagreements instead of uniting over their common beliefs.
Politicians instigate division and appeal to our basest instincts to gain power instead of bringing people together with a common vision.
The result is a city full of fragmentation, mistrust and unfulfilled promises.
But it does not have to be that way.
By replacing self-interest with common interest, rivalry with partnership, and division with unity, we can tap into the greatness that lies within our metro and finally achieve the success that has always seemed out of reach.
The key is to put the "we" over the "I"
This rivalry has to stop.
The question is: “How can we put an end to it?”
The self-interests of political parties must come first [last].
If you are elected, your role in shaping the metro is one of shared vision.
If you are a city councillor, your loyalty should shift from your political party to the people in your ward, whatever their political persuasion.
Coalitions will only work in our metro when those involved move toward a common vision.
Believe me, it is a task of great maturity to unite people's minds around a vision, even though there are vested interests.
Maturity accepts that I am not at the helm, but there will be a next time.
I am part of the team and will be a team player in the interest of the people in the metro.
Every politician is also a citizen and must bring safety, security and prosperity to the citizens.
If this is not happening in my ward in the metro, then as a council member you need to ask yourself – “what am I doing?”
If this is not happening in 60 wards in our metro, then councillors we need to ask themselves “what are we doing or not doing?”
At the end of the day, it's about jobs! It's about safety and security!
The church also has an important role to play. The church cannot afford division in this period of instability in the metro.
If we can accept that it takes more than one church to bless our metro, we will agree on a common vision and shared beliefs and celebrate our strength in diversity.
It is in our best interest as a church to ensure that the people of the ward in which we are situated experiences safety, security and prosperity.
Overcoming division requires humility, forgiveness, and compromise - qualities that are often lacking when self-interest rules.
But if we focus on the big picture, listen to different points of view, and seek unity instead of assertiveness, churches can overcome disunity and once again thrive in purpose and mission.
It is a challenge to set aside one's own interests for the good of the community, but the rewards of a harmonious, effective church far outweigh the hardships.
Together, the people of God can accomplish great things.
Going it alone may seem like the best approach in a selfish metro, but it often leads to failure.
When individuals isolate themselves and act only in their own self-interest, the community suffers.
When we work together, we can achieve more than the sum of our individual efforts.
By pooling their knowledge, skills and resources, groups are able to look at problems from multiple perspectives and come up with innovative solutions.
Teamwork also leads to a sense of shared purpose and motivation.
When churches, legislators, municipal officials, and communities come together to make decisions that benefit everyone equally, it leads to unity, prosperity, and success.
Promoting inclusion and overcoming greed are challenging but necessary to achieve the common good.
By listening to all voices and empowering the marginalised, we can become a thriving "selfless city".
So, what is there to take away here?
We turn first to the Bible: “Jesus supernaturally discerned their thoughts and motives and therefore told them this parable: ‘Every kingdom that fights against itself will be reduced to ruins.
‘And every family or community divided by strife will fall apart. So, when Satan casts out Satan, he is waging war against himself.
‘Then how could his kingdom stand?’” (Matthew 12: 25-26
Simply put, a city at odds with itself cannot stand.
The "me first" mentality leaves us all worse off in the end.
But there is hope — we can choose a different path.
We can choose to put aside petty differences and work for the good of all.
We can promote understanding instead of division, cooperation instead of competition.
It starts with each of us making the decision to put the interests of the community above self-interest.
Together, we have the power to build a thriving metro where the success of each contributes to the success of all.
The future remains unwritten - what story will we tell?
Apostle Neville Goldman
Ebenezer International
Source: TCN / Neville Goldman
Date Added: 2023-09-18
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Church Unity,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2023-09-18
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Church Unity,
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