Grimes (2000:346) writes: “ordinary acts, when extraordinarily practised, break open,
transforming human conventions and revealing what is most deeply desirable, most
cosmically orienting, and most fully human.” One is not always aware of the influence of
rituals on your life and your life on rituals. Rituals are in one way or another part of
people’s everyday life. It enables in times when one is uncertain as to how to act or move
forward. At times it can even assist to fill the existential void in people’s lives. It is the
known in times of uncertainty and it provides a sense of stability and control.
In South Africa there is currently not always the sense of stability and control. The
country’s statistics regarding social cohesion do not look good. Social cohesion is the way
in which a community creates space for each other in order for individuals to feel that they
belong and are recognized in this community as members of the community.
Sport has a great following in South Africa. Nelson Mandela said that sport has the power
to inspire, to unite people and to break down racial barriers. Apart from being avid sport
fans statistics show that more than 80% of the population are Christians. If the influence of
sport and the power of the Gospel can be brought together in some or other way, would it
not be possible to create a more effective way to create space for each other in South
Africa?
This study aimed at bringing sport and worship together. Eight spaces within the
geographical area of Tshwane were empirically investigated. Four of these spaces were
sport spaces and four were worship spaces. The city was divided into west, north/center,
south and east and in each of these areas a sport space and a worship space were
identified and investigated. These spaces were compared and similarities and differences
were highlighted. The spaces were investigated in respect of spatiality, embodiment,
culture, rituals, tradition, worldview and view of God.
This study attempts to show that the whole of life is “holy” based on Exodus 3:5, where
God says to Moses, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where
you are standing is holy ground.” Moses should not take off his shoes because God is holy, but because the place where he stands is holy. God’s holiness includes place. If
people’s rituals within the worship service are important for us as theologians, then their
rituals outside the worship space are also important. This study took this seriously.
Knowledge of rituals and what takes place in sport spaces are necessary in order to get to
a place where it is possible to say: “I come to you there where you are comfortable and
then together we can be church.” In such a way space is created for each other.
This investigation culminated in a model of social cohesion with the following components:
trust, cooperation, affiliation, personal well-being and safety. Suggestions for improved
praxis are done on the basis of this model.
Grimes (2000:346) sê: “ordinary acts, when extraordinarily practised, break open,
transforming human conventions and revealing what is most deeply desirable, most
cosmically orienting, and most fully human.” Dit is nie altyd op die oppervlak duidelik wat
rituele aan die mens doen en wat die mens aan rituele doen nie. Dit is egter wesenlik deel
van mense se alledaagse lewe. Dit help om maniere te vind om op te tree wanneer mens
nie weet hoe nie en selfs by tye om die eksistensiële vakuum in mense se lewens te vul.
Dit is die bekende in tye van onbekendheid en verskaf ʼn gevoel van stabiliteit en beheer.
In Suid-Afrika is daar op die oomblik nie altyd die gevoel van stabiliteit en beheer nie. Die
land se statistieke ten opsigte van sosiale kohesie lyk nie goed nie. Sosiale kohesie is die
wyse waarop daar binne ʼn gemeenskap ruimte gemaak word vir mekaar ten einde
individue te laat voel dat hulle aan hierdie gemeenskap behoort en erken word as lede van
die gemeenskap.
Sport geniet groot aanhang in Suid-Afrika. Nelson Mandela het gesê dat sport die mag het
om te inspireer, om mense byeen te bring en om rasse grense te oorskry. Buiten dat Suid-
Afrikaners ywerige sportliefhebbers is toon statistieke dat meer as 80% van die bevolking
Christene is. As die mag van sport en die krag van die Evangelie op een of ander manier
by mekaar uitgebring kan word sou daar dan nie op ʼn meer effektiewe manier ruimte
gemaak kon word vir mekaar binne Suid-Afrika nie?
Hierdie studie het gepoog om sport en aanbidding bymekaar uit te bring. Agt ruimtes binne
die geografiese gebied van Tshwane is empiries ondersoek. Vier van hierdie ruimtes was
sport ruimtes en vier was aanbiddingsruimtes. Die stad is verdeel in die vier windrigtings
wes, noord/middel, suid en oos. Hier is telkens een sportruimte en een aanbiddingsruimte
geïdentifiseer en ondersoek. Hierdie ruimtes is met mekaar vergelyk en ooreenkomste en
verskille is uitgewys. Die ruimtes is ondersoek ten opsigte van ruimtelikheid,
liggaamlikheid, kultuur, rituele, tradisies, wêreldbeskouing en godsbeskouing.
Hierdie studie poog om uit te wys dat die hele lewe “heilig” is aan die hand van Eksodus
3:5 waar God vir Moses sê: “Moenie nóg nader kom nie. Trek jou skoene uit, want die plek waarop jy staan, is gewyde grond.” Moses moenie sy skoene uittrek omdat God heilig is
nie maar wel omdat die plek waarop hy staan heilig is. God se heiligheid sluit nie plek uit
nie maar juis in. As mense se rituele binne die erediens vir ons as teoloë belangrik is, is
hulle rituele buite die erediens ook belangrik. Binne hierdie studie word dit ernstig
opgeneem. Kennis van die rituele en van dit wat gebeur binne sport ruimtes is nodig ten
einde by ʼn plek te kom waar daar gesê kan word: “Ek kom na jou toe dáár waar jy
gemaklik is en dan kan ons saam kerkwees.” Só word daar ruimte geskep vir mekaar.
Hierdie ondersoek het gekulmineer in ʼn model vir sosiale kohesie met die volgende
komponente: vertroue, samewerking, affiliasie, persoonlike welstand en veiligheid.
Voorstelle vir verbeterde praxis is aan die hand van hierdie model gedoen.
