GENERAL
COLUMN
From the Word
Editor's letter
To elect someone
for your fish tank
T
o elect someone to lead the country and agriculture in
the country, must be one of the most important tasks
out there.
We hear so often that one has to know in which fish tank
you are swimming. Well, during the recent 2019 South African
national election in May, our citizens formed part of the 26,7
million voters who made their crosses at almost 33 000 voting
stations. This determined the future of approximately 60 million
South Africans for at least another 5 years. Rather a large fish
tank, don't you think?
Not necessarily ... India also held its election over the past 5
weeks in April and May. At the top of the scale, almost 900 mil-
lion voters made their crosses at almost 1 million voting stations,
which determined the future of their population of almost 1,4
billion people.
Down the scale is the Cocos Islands, with the smallest popu-
lation of 586, the Falkland Islands with a population of 3 400
and Montserrat with a population of only 4 900. In the bigger
spectrum it is a very small fish tank to swim in.
To put in into perspective, elections will be held in many other
countries which, believe it or not, will have an impact on half of
the world. Almost 4 billion people.
Enjoy swimming in your fish tank - no matter how big or small it
may be.
Aubrey Kruger
EDITOR
To lack nothing…
Rev Willie Botha
Read: Psalm 23
Farming is the oldest occupation that we know of. In the old
times a shepherd moved from one grazing-ground to the next.
There were no fences as we know it today and the movement
of a shepherd and his herd was unlimited. The result was that
herds constantly competed for grazing and water. In a dry
country this was understandable. Another problem was that
livestock could be mixed up quite easily. However, this was not
really a problem since the shepherds knew their livestock so
well that they could easily identify their own. The sheep usually
recognised their shepherd's voice and would spontaneously
follow him. A shepherd's sheep were his life. During the warmer
summer months, he would sleep with them in the veld. When
they were sick or weak, he would carry them and when they got
lost, he would look for them. Sheep were particularly valuable
for their wool, meat, skins and horns. The skins of goats were
very valuable and a nanny-goat could give up to 3,5 litres of
milk per day. Farming was not merely a business for a subsis-
tence farmer - it was his vocation, it was his whole life. No won-
der than John applied the image of a shepherd laying down his
life for his sheep, to Jesus in John 10. David's bravery against
lions and bears threatening the safety of the herd, confirms this.
Even the best farmer fails sometimes. There are certain cir-
cumstances which he cannot control. Serious diseases such
as foot-and-mouth disease, blue tongue, pulpy kidney, tetanus
and many other conditions can occur, resulting in huge and
sudden losses. Farmers in the colder areas of our country
have all heard stories of angoras having to be herded into sta-
bles and sheds in the middle of the night, bringing up orphan
lambs and tying up ewes refusing to allow the lambs to suckle.
The contemporary farmer also has to take unfavourable eco-
nomic and political conditions into account.
Psalm 23 talks about the Farmer of all farmers. He perfectly
guides His sheep. Only He can lay claim to the fact that His
herds want for nothing. His sheep can follow Him with total
peace of mind because He provides the best grazing and safe
waters to drink from. He leads them on the best paths and He is
the only one who can give them new strength. He protects them
in the most dangerous places, in the shadow of death.
The fortunate sheep referred to in Psalm 23, are us. We, who
can testify of eternal care and grace. Of safe waters and abun-
dant grazing. Of carrying us through droughts and listening to
our prayers for rain. And a Shepherd who is willing to lay down
His life for us…
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SENWES SCENARIO | WINTER 2019