Beyond the river

Our church hosted a movie night on Friday, and screened 'Beyond the river'.

This South African story of the friendship between a white and black man, arising from a shared love of canoeing, and their goal of racing in the Dusi, is a heart-warming example of transformation. In these times when there is so much hatred, anger and pain between black and white, it is good to be reminded of our shared humanity.

There are many lessons to be learnt from this movie - that small decisions can have big consequences; that true friendship sometimes requires us to make hard decisions; that true love sometimes requires us to sacrifice greatly; that things worth having are worth fighting for; that healing is found in forgiveness; that family is not just about people who share your DNA; that grief is personal and different for each of us; that compassion goes a long way to bridging the gap between our islands of humanity; that great courage is necessary for life to be truly meaningful; ... the list goes on.

The question I am left pondering though, is one that Bill Hybels framed many years ago in his book 'Just walk across the room' - will I have the courage to make the first move, to step out of my comfort zone and walk across the proverbial room?