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Direction for all of life’s decisions

Word Up How I see it

Faith & Fact

On Beat

Lit

FTW In jest Music in Motion

Poetic Singled out Verse

FOR THIS AND MUCH MORE ON THE SCOPE STUDENT PLATFORM…

Off the cuff

03On The Whole Singled out - ‘Fight For Me’ by GAWVI ft. Lecrae

04Off the cuff - ‘The Nubons - Excellence’Singled out - ‘HAPPINESS (Acoustic)’ by NEEDTOBREATHE

05-06How I see it - ‘Believing is Seeing’ by Byron FesterSingled out - ‘Fall Away’ by Jackie Hill Perry ft. Natalie Lauren

07FTW - ‘3 tips for the new semester’ by Vanessa KaliwoSingled out - ‘Dreams’ by Msaki

08-10Faith & Fact - ‘Beyond Imagination’ by Wandile MhlongoSingled out - ‘Uwjm’ by Montell Fish

11Singled out - ‘December’ by Artificial ChristianVerse - ‘Resurface’ by Lauren StanleySingled out - ‘Going’ by Tow’rs

12In jest - ‘You need to just believe!’ by Angie & OlieSingled out - ‘Dreaming Again’ by Jeremy Loops

13Music in Motion - ‘I’m Not Good’ by ANGEL!NASingled out - ‘Matt 7:23’ by Mogli The Iceberg

14Music in Motion - ‘Girl in Calico’ by Tow’rsVerse - ‘She Believed’ by Kay-Dee MashileSingled out - ‘All I Had’ by KJ-52 ft. Datin

15 Lit - ‘An Image In A Mirror’ reviewed by Sinovuyo NdaleniSingled out - ‘Till I Found You’ by Phil Wickham

16On Beat - ‘SOLAR’ reviewed by Marvin KimaniSingled out - ‘orion’ by nobigdyl

17Music in Motion - ‘This I know’ by We Will WorshipSingled out - ‘You Say’ by Lauren Daigle

18Verse - ‘Grace alone, Grace together’ by Jethro SmithSingled out - ‘In Stillness’ by Etherwood

19Music in Motion - ‘I just need U.’ by TobyMacSingled out - ‘Known’ by Tauren Wells

20Poetic - ‘Taste and See’ by Puno SeleshoSingled out - ‘Dreams’ by Rivers & Robots

21Singled out - ‘5608’ by IncenseMusic in Motion - ‘Clarity’ by Andy MineoSingled out - ‘Yesterday’s Sorrows’ by ANGEL!NA

22Singled out - ‘Friend’ by Jonathan OgdenVerse - ‘Tomorrow’ by Jamela HoveniSingled out - ‘Why’ by NF

23Lit - ‘Five Proofs of the Existence of God’ reviewed by Matt O’Kelly Singled out - ‘Allegiance’ by Shaun Jacobs Band

24Word Up - ‘Winter’ by Christan BarnardSingled out - ‘Let Go’ by Hillsong Young & Free

25Music in Motion - ‘Holding On’ by Matthew Mole Singled out - ‘Still Alive’ by Red

26Verse - ‘Lighthouse’ by Marvin Kimani Singled out - ‘Art of Hope’ by KB

27Music in Motion - ‘Dreamers’ by for KING & COUNTRY Singled out - ‘Where can I go?’ by Liz Vice

All opinions expressed in this issue do not reflect our advertisers or Scope Magazine

WIN

TER

ISSU

E 20

18

@scopeforstudents

Introducing university students to a bigger scope of our world today through the lens of the Gospel.

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WELCOME TO WINTER ISSUE 2018!

I would like to introduce you to a tree that has felt the ravages of winter – now deathly with its naked frame. At first glance you might wonder what purpose it serves without its leaves. You might even ask: “What’s the point of being stripped from the one external thing which shows evidence of its life?” Yet, it’s still as much a tree in this season as it will be in the next.

I’m learning again that I don’t need to prove that I’m something. I know I’m something not for what I show, but because of who my Source is. It’s interesting that success according to the world is measured by what is seen, but then when it’s seen it never seems enough. This is usually because one’s faith is in something too small. If all this temporary ‘stuff’ was taken away – is your faith in something, or someone, eternal? Go check out a great piece on page 5 and 6 which touches on the character of Job in the Bible whose faith was in God despite losing all he had materially.

Maybe you do believe in God, but perhaps have lost faith in seeing Him do what was evident before. Stepping out into the unknown was exciting then, but now it’s more ‘logical’ to just stick to the confines of what seems safe. This is similar to what was happening at the church of Galatia (modern day Turkey), as the Apostle Paul penned these words in the book of Galatians chapter 3 verse 2 to 5:

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After by beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain – if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

The Galatians he was writing to had got it twisted. They thought believing the word of Christ was a sort of once-off miraculous experience – something you start with and then leave for the law. The point Paul’s making is that just as you might have received the Spirit at first, don’t then start relying on yourself. The God you started your journey with is the same God who is faithful to help you finish through the pain and hardship that will come, as He provides all the joy and peace you need in the midst of it all. If you’ve drifted away, you’re never too far to come back and believe again His great promises for your life.

Maybe you wouldn’t call yourself a Christian and have not yet received the Spirit by believing the word of Christ. Perhaps you’re just confused by what Christians even mean when they say weird things like ‘receiving the Spirit’. That’s okay. Let’s say you just ordered your favourite pudding and begun tucking into its layers of awesomeness,how you would you describe it? This is a silly

analogy to try and explain how difficult it is to describe personally knowing God. Just like you could probably tell me the ingredients in your pudding, I could tell you some of the attributes of God, but wouldn’t it be far greater if I could taste that pudding for myself? Similarly with God, I could keep telling you what He is like, but until you surrender your life to Him by repenting of your sin and then receive by faith this gift of love and forgiveness that Jesus won on the cross for you – you’ll never know who He is. Believing in God means to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

It’s cold out there guys. Stay warm and keep believing!

Much love,

Jonathan Just: Publishing Director

Believing in God means to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

‘FIGHT FOR ME’ BY GAWVI FT. LECRAE

ON THE

WHOLE

LISTENSINGLED OUT

WINTER ISSUE 201803

‘the nubons - excellence’

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WAtchoff the cuff

‘haPPIness (acoustIc)’ by neeDtObreAthe

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WInTer ISSue 201805

“Seeing is believing.” ever hear that before? it’s one that normally creeps into our everyday conversations followed by: “i’ll believe it when i see it!” And that’s only

natural. But how does someone claim that what they believe is true even if they have never seen it in action?

it’s hard to believe in something or someone when your faith is tested. What can cause us to question our faith is when we don’t see anything good happening in our lives. We ask: “Why is it taking so long to see this promise realised?” And conclude: “i’m probably not believing enough.”

You may have many promises in your life that you are waiting for. maybe it’s a job opportunity that you’ve applied for, or perhaps seeing someone in your family come to know Jesus but you just don’t see it happening. maybe you feel that you are experiencing a dry season in your faith and you are believing for a spiritual breakthrough.

Waiting and seeing something being fulfilled could be one of the hardest things to go through, and often when we don’t see anything happening we start thinking: “What am i doing wrong?” it’s so easy to focus the attention on the seen; on us; on what we are doing. it’s more visible and therefore more believable.

so much of what we believe is only because it is visible and tangible. science says we observe things, test things and come to a conclusion. so, how then does someone believe in an unseen God while living in a world that is all about believing only in what can be physically seen?

A case study in the book of Job

let’s look to the character of Job in the Bible. the book of Job is a case study in how to trust God even when life is unfair and you suffer for no good reason. one of the most amazing things about the story of Job is how the spiritual world is peeled back and we get a behind the scenes of what is happening. it’s fascinating to see the interaction between satan and God. it may take a bigger article to explain exactly what’s going on, but let’s focus on that which is unseen.

Job is a righteous man who “fear’s God and shuns evil.”1 He is a blessed man with a big family, land and wealth. in the unseen parts of the spiritual world, satan challenges God and says that if he punishes Job, surely Job will turn and curse God. God allows satan to torment Job, but forbids satan to take his life. in the course of one day, everything falls apart. Job receives four messages saying that his livestock, servants and ten children have died. Job tear’s his clothes and shaves his head in mourning, but he still praises God in his prayers. satan again

Believing is seeing

reADhow i see it

by byron fester

‘Fall away’ by JAckIe hILL Perry ft. nAtALIe LAuren

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asks God for permission to punish Job, and this time Job himself is afflicted with painful sores all over his body. in all of it he never curses God, even though he struggles to accept his circumstances.

His friends visit him, basically saying: “You must have committed some sin. this is the cause of your affliction.” In all of this, Job wants to confront God and complain, but he cannot physically find God to do it. it’s unnatural to him; however, he still pursues wisdom by fearing God and avoiding evil. “How do i stand faithfully in my belief when all i see around me is destruction?” Job probably asked God on numerous occasions. God finally interrupts Job’s thoughts, describing detailed aspects of His creation, how He created everything, which is evidence that He is with him. overwhelmed, Job acknowledges God’s unlimited power. At the end of the story we read that “the lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part” with more livestock, beautiful children, and long life till he was 140 years old.2

it’s so hard to see the unseen when the seen world around you is crumbling. it’s hard to believe that something is happening when everything around you is stagnating. the book of Job shows us that in the unseen, God is working. Why did God put Job through all this suffering? He knew that Job was a righteous man, not because of his works or possessions but because of his heart that was for God. You too will go through troubled times that could feel almost too much to bear. Jesus says: “i have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! i have overcome the world.”3

How to keep believing even when it’s hard:

1) The first key is relationship. It starts with relationship with Jesus. We need to know Jesus intimately – what He did and who He is – which will shape everything else we believe.

2) community unlocks radical belief and faith. We need people around us to call out the truth about Jesus and about us. there is power in God’s people gathering together; a community of believers encouraging one another daily.

3) recognise the goodness of God around you. it’s everywhere around you; in creation, in the Bible, in the daily blessings of your life. Pick one and spend time meditating on how God worked in that situation. it can radically transform your belief in Jesus when you recognise the goodness of God, especially when it’s been there all along.

It’s so easy to focus the attention on the seen; on us; on what we are doing. It’s more visible and therefore more believable.

Byron Fester is originally from Cape Town and currently works at Antioch Community Church. He serves in the Young

Professionals Ministry and is also on the Admin and Worship Team. He has a passion for discipleship and being a part of church-planting movements.

endnoTeS1. Job 1:12. Job 42:12-173. John 16:33

‘3 tips For the new seMester’ by VAnessA kALIWO

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WAtchFtw

‘dreaMs’ by MsAkI

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WInTer ISSue 201807


PArT 1: froM ZeuS To dArWIn

reADfaIth & fact

BeYond IMAGInAtIOn

by Wandile Mhlongo

t here is nothing quite like the imagination of a child. For instance, think about the countless number

of books dedicated exclusively to this group: colourfully decorated covers and pages, all purposefully designed to captivate the imagination. unfortunately, in modern times, appreciation of the imagination seems to be declining earlier than in previous times. But why is such the case? the answer to that question is much deeper than you think. i will illustrate to you the origins of this great crime against mankind with its subsequent consequences.

Historical man had a rich sense of the divine and supernatural. Aided by his imagination, he could saturate himself with various folktales decorated with awe-inspiring imagery. of course, we now consider such stories to have been myths, and i would agree that they were, but what i would not agree with

is that they were of no benefit whatsoever to ancient civilizations. All thanks to the rise of naturalism, the current state of our modern society can be likened to a book with all the finest detail about absolutely everything, but embarrassingly lacking in impressions and colour. our minds have graduated from a simplistic, imaginative, yet somewhat joyful world, to that of matter, organs and atoms. We have been robbed of our child-like brains that allowed us to see worlds beyond our own, and have, instead, been given dark, cold and purposeless matter that makes life all the more meaningless. take for instance Zeus, the god of sky and thunder, who was worshiped by the Greeks as king of the gods. though never to be seen with the naked eye, his presence was, however, daily confirmed by the elements of the heavens, telling of a supernatural world beyond our material universe.

WInTer ISSue 201809

reADfaIth & fact

What was in the minds of these men, i believe, is precisely what we are lacking today. According to the school of Darwinism, life as we know it is nothing but a series of meaningless chances which have, through random processes, enabled us to make ‘sense’ of our existence. the Darwinist sees the world as a composite of natural elements which carry no absolute intrinsic value whatsoever, because we are mere bi-products of evolution. of course, most of us somehow have the sense that this cannot be possibly true, and in this we have much in common with the ancient Greek who may have thought of Zeus when witnessing the might of thunder, struck by awe or reverence for the divine. For them, the natural was very much in tune with the supernatural. therefore, one cannot be surprised that when two Jewish laymen from Palestine walked into a city of the Greeks, lystra, and there performed the miracle of healing a crippled man, soon enough they were mistaken for gods; one for Zeus and the other for Hermes.1

loss of imagination directly links to a declining appreciation of a created universe. Professor John Patrick, in his audio lecture “meaning and Purpose in medicine”, shares a story that illustrates my point effortlessly: “You see all that needs to happen is some sense of awe to re-appear, which it hasn’t at the moment. remember when the double reading frame in mitochondrial DnA was discovered a few years ago? one of the guys

in our department was working on it, and i said: ‘Doesn’t that blow your mind?’ And he said: ‘no, it’s just there!’…And he had no sense of amazement that it should be there...” in his book, miracles, c.s. lewis makes the daring claim that “men became scientific because they expected law in nature, and they expected law in nature because they believed in a legislator.”2 As far as things are concerned, you cannot have laws without a lawgiver, and you cannot possibly have purpose without a mind that bestows such purpose. Albert einstein, who was a theist, once shared the following with regards to the imagination: “i am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. imagination is more important than knowledge. For

LoSS of IMAGInATIon dIreCTLY LInkS To A deCLInInG APPreCIATIon of A CreATed unIverSe.

knowledge is limited, whereas imagination encircles the world.”3 if one of the greatest minds known to man freely engaged with the imagination, can’t we do the same?

Do not get me wrong, i do not suppose that we should abandon all scientific thought and methodology for a belief in Greek gods and their mythological tales. But what i am proposing is a return to the world of the impossible, a world which our ancestors once freely embraced without shame. For in that world they made themselves vulnerable to the true-myth that has invaded mankind, a story too good and awesome to have possibly happened, yet is true in its entirety. i am talking about the story of the Bible. the Bible is certainly no book about ancient myths, although it has things we can never possibly explain to the full satisfaction of critics. But one thing we can be sure about is that it is a historical account, much like the account of the life of napoleon or Hitler. the focus of the biblical narrative is about a Jewish man born in Palestine to a young virgin woman. there is no doubt about the historical existence of Jesus christ, and there is certainly no doubt about the manner of person He was. if He truly existed, and history suggests He did, then we must accept all that the Bible writers claim He said and did, including His miracles. After all, the Bible is full of the miraculous. take the book of revelation for instance; there you read of sea creatures with “seven heads and ten horns”4 amongst

other incredible imagery! if the Great Author was not ashamed to adorn this last book in His masterpiece with descriptions to unlock the imagination, why then should we shy away from being open to the impossible as moderners?

i thus believe we have a lot to learn from children. After all, it was Jesus who once said to a crowd of mature men and women, “truly i tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”5 We ought to let the miraculous invade once more the corridors of our minds and allow ourselves to be captivated by the supernatural, and then, maybe then, we will begin to see that nature is not the only thing there is to be known and understood about our universe. Perhaps before we could be persuaded that there is a Grand Designer, in this case the creator God of the Bible, we need first to be freed from the coldness of a less imaginative world.


‘uwjM’ by MOnteLL fIsh

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wandile Mason Mhlongo is a uCT 5th year medical student, chairperson of the uCT Students for Life (pro-life) society, and has interests in Christian

history and philosophy.

endnoTeS1. Acts 14:8-182. Lewis, C.S., Miracles: a preliminary study, Collins, London, p. 110, 19473. Albert Einstein as quoted in “What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck” in The Saturday Evening Post (26 October 1929) q: Albert Einstein4. Revelation 13:1, Holy Bible, New King James5. Matthew 18:3, Holy Bible, New International Version

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WInTer ISSue 201811

‘December’ by ArtIfIcIAL chrIstIAn

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‘going’ by tOW’rs

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reADverse

Ready? Set? … …no.

Some days are just no. They require all the usual things; getting up, being human, going through the motions, ‘accomplishing’ stuff, drinking water. But we say “no”. Our body says no. Our soul screams it with every ounce of life left there – “NO!” “NO!” “NO!” And then we’re basically dead.

Let us go. There we go. Down down down. We’re lost. Gone. Under the weight of that heavy. It’s on our chest, in our ears, over our head. Can’t see. Can’t breathe. Breathing is for others. Not for us. It’s heavy on our chest, in our chest. Take me away from here. …but don’t touch me. Leave me here. I can handle it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll resurface. Tomorrow… tomorrow… tomorrow. That’s where life is. What a great place. We don’t have much hope in it anymore though. I don’t think it even asks us

if we’re ready anymore. It knows the answer. And it never seems to really come. Well, it never brings much more than today. And we’ve been through this already. How do we resurface anyway? It’s so heavy and dark down here. It’s numb and …there are no stairs. There is no light; no path or passage or trail. No horizon or sky or ground. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

What is up? What is down?

Hope is that yellow glow in the distance. Sometimes it’s there. Sometimes we can’t see it. Sometimes it’s just nothing.

Sometimes… Maybe it is coming nearer. Maybe it will reach us. That is how we’ll get out.

We hang onto a glow. We will resurface.

‘resurface’by Lauren stanley

angIe & olIe - ‘You neeD to just belIeve!’

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WAtchin jest


‘dreaMing again’ by JereMy LOOPs

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‘i’M not good’ by AnGeL!nA

WAtchmusIc In motIon

WInTer ISSue 201813

‘Matt 7:23’ by MOGLI the IceberG

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‘all i had’ by KJ-52 ft. Datin

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reADverse

She believed in her scars

So she feared love

She believed in her pain

So she did all she could to avoid getting hurt

She believed that she was too broken to be loved

So she kept to herself

She believed a lie…

Then she met Truth

He who bled and died for her

He whose scars aren’t a reminder of pain

But a sign of healing…

The One whose Love never ends

The One who has loved her since the beginning of time

She met Truth…

And He showed her unconditional love

Love that is well pleased with her

Love that says she is enough

Love that is kind and patient with her

Love that holds her hand and leads her

Love that heals her heart and soul

When she believed in Truth

He set her free

Free to live

Free to love

Free enough to know that she can believe in something greater than herself

Free enough to know that she is strong in His power and might

That she can do all things through His strengthening

Free to give and receive Love

Free to believe!

And now

She believes in Truth

She believes in Love

She believes in God!

‘she Believed’by kay-Dee Mashile

‘gIrl In calIco’ by tOW’rs

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‘till i Found you’ by PhIL WIckhAM

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WInTer ISSue 201815

D oes God exist? could there be a more fundamental

question to ask? edward Feser in his latest book, Five Proofs of the existence of God, does exactly that. Drawing from the arguments of five great thinkers in the history of Western philosophy – Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, thomas Aquinas, and Gottfried leibniz – Feser takes the five arguments he deems to be the strongest in favour of God’s existence.

From reason alone, Feser shows not only that God exists, but that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good, eternal, unchanging – most, if not all, of the divine attributes traditionally ascribed to God.

chapters 1–5 take the reader through each of the arguments, showing briefly how each shows various attributes of God’s existence. much of this discussion, however, is reserved for chapter 6, in which Feser spells out in detail how God can be said to be the God of classical theism. While he responds to objections as he goes, he defers much of this to the final chapter in which he rebuts any and every objection to God’s existence that may come to mind.

it must be said that such rigorous philosophy can quickly become very abstract and difficult to keep up with. For at least two reasons I find Feser’s writing to be an exception.

Firstly, the philosophical concepts necessary to understand the arguments are introduced along the way. other books of his, like the last superstition and Aquinas also include powerful arguments for God’s existence and attributes, but only after a fair bit of space does he lay out the philosophical framework in which these arguments are properly understood. By introducing them as he goes, Feser makes his writings more accessible to the contemporary reader.

secondly, it must be said that there is a difference between writing simply and writing simplistically. many books in christian apologetics are more simplistic than anything else – the arguments are easy to follow, but aren’t particularly strong. the stronger arguments unfortunately often tend to be the more complex ones. the ability to bring such complexity down to the level of the ordinary reader is a rare gift – one Feser certainly possesses.

Five Proofs of the existence of God stands as a serious challenge to anyone who would deny the existence of God. christianity, contrary to the opinion of many an atheist, is an incredibly defensible worldview, and ought to be taken seriously. i have yet to come across another book as easy (and gripping) to read, but as rigorous in its argumentation. For the scholar, for the layperson, for the searching; this is the book to read.

Five proofs of the existence of god

reADlit

reviewed by Matt O’kelly

Matt o’Kelly is a musician, philosophy nerd, and as of this year, a theology student at George Whitefield College. Matt has a deep love for reading and his wife Leanne, and wherever possible avoids wearing shoes.


solar nobigdyl

‘orion’ by nObIGDyL

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I n 2015, rapzilla named ‘nobigdyl’ as one of the artists to look out for in their freshman class of that same year. He released

a mix-tape called ‘smoke signal’ soon after. Although a good project, it was only when his album ‘canopy’ dropped in January 2017 that the tennessee-based rapper cemented his name among the post-lecrae generation of christian Hip Hop (cHH) rappers.

this year he released ‘solAr’, which is his sophomore album that swiftly made it to the top 10 of the itunes charts in its first week of release. After a couple of listens, one can easily hear why nobigdyl has garnered such a strong following. this

album hosts an array of themes; relationships, past failures and hope being at the forefront. Nobigdyl has found a way to make the album introspective (sometimes tackling hard issues such as suicide) without being melancholic. this is possibly due to the strong blend of creatively crafted upbeat production and nobigdyl’s own seemingly effortless flows. It’s commendable how well each song fits into the

context of the album, yet can easily stand on its own.

songs to look out for include ‘cordial’ and the single ‘twenty eighteen’ which display the rapper’s own unique blend of lyricism, introspection and storytelling. ‘Pressure’ featuring John Givez and ‘be a man’ featuring WHAtuPrG speak on relatable topics like the struggles of life and what it means to be a man.

if the sheer replay value of the album is anything to go by, then ‘solAr’ is a strong contender for a cHH album of the year award. soon after its release, nobigdyl went on to sign a record deal that saw him becoming label mates with cHH favourites NF and Social Club Misfits. A great achievement for a relatively new artist.

As an avid cHH listener, this album has stood out as one of the best in the last 2 years. the time taken to perfect every song is evident and the quality of the project speaks for itself.

Nobigdyl has definitely become one of my favourites from the new wave of cHH artists. i would recommend this album to anyone who is into well thought out flows, catchy hooks and witty lyrics about life, love and God.

You can buy SOLAR here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/solar/1383313720

This album hosts an array of themes; relationships, past failures and hope being at the forefront.

reADon Beat

LIstensingled out

reviewed by Marvin kimani

Marvin Kimani is a writer and dreamer. He dabbles in rap and spoken word and in his spare time can be found hanging out with other creative minds plotting ways to glorify God through the arts.

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‘this i Know’ by We WILL WOrshIP

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WInTer ISSue 201817

‘you say’ by LAuren DAIGLe

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‘grace alone, grace together’by Jethro smith

The Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,

who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness.

In and out

In and out

Heavily I draw these life-giving breaths of Grace

Laced with smoke

Lit by darkness

My eyes project confusion through filters of the lies I believe

Taking snapshots of a world filled with people I see, through lenses of Jealousy, lust

Saturated with self

Smudged in sin

While fast footsteps pound in my ears...

dread,

They sound wet

The smell of fresh blood rises to my brain...

Wait!

Those are my feet?!

Leaving pathways of destruction in a fast lane

How did I get here?

I can hear the carnal roar of my flesh, with its monstrous hunger

I can taste the metal of that blood Pouring from self-sacrifice

Filling up self righteousness

Pride swells its chest and I’m full of me...

For now

Flooding the loving light in layers of sin

Stick around long enough and I’ll even tell you this is who I am


reADverse

‘in stillness’ by etherWOOD

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For the full poem go to Encompass here:http://scopeforstudents.com/grace-alone-grace-together-poem/

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‘i just need u.’ by tObyMAc


WInTer ISSue 201819

‘Known’ by tAuren WeLLs

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‘taste and see’ by PunO seLeshO

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WAtchPoetIc


‘dreaMs’ by rIVers & rObOts

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WInTer ISSue 201821

‘5608’ by Incense

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‘yesterday’s sorrows’ by AnGeL!nA

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‘clarItY’ by AnDy MIneO

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‘Friend’ by JOnAthAn OGDen

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‘tomorrow’by Jamela hoveni

I will see you tomorrow my friend.

Tomorrow,

When I’m free to entertain you and your jokes,

To marvel at your smile,

Your beauty,

Oh but you are beautiful!

To me,

You are so special.

You crossed time and space

To be with me in my time of need.

You touched me with your words,

Soothing me with your gentle voice.

You sang for me,

You prayed for me,

Your words lovingly embraced me.

Do I love you?

Perhaps,

What is love anyway?

You asked me and you told me at the same time.

It is meaningless...

Perhaps,

It is not for you.

Now you say,

I know you will change your mind.

When you do...

I won’t say I told you so.

I won’t say it is about time,

I will say:

Love like sadness, like pain, like suffering,

Cannot be explained

We feel it,

We contemplate it,

We demand it,

We reject it,

We give it a face,

We give it a name,

We try to understand it,

But often become disillusioned.

reADverse

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‘why’ by nf

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For the full poem go to Encompass here:http://scopeforstudents.com/tomorrow-poem/

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WInTer ISSue 201823

‘allegIance’ by shAun JAcObs bAnD

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“I attend church, and walk home filled with the sense

of purpose preached by Mama’s priest. He paces around the stage, declaring: “God is in control, nothing is by chance. There is a purpose in everything, even in the place you are born.” I believe it.” (p.103)

ijangolet’s debut novel takes the reader on a self-discovery and finding of one’s life purpose through the journey of twin sisters, nyakale and Achen, separated at a young age. set in south Africa and uganda, ogwang narrates the story of the lives of these two young women and how they navigate their life experiences that ultimately shape the women they become. the book alternates between each twin’s perspective and welcomes the reader into their inner and outer worlds.

A common theme in the book is one of seeking. the twins seek to understand why they were separated at a young age, wondering how life is for the other person and ultimately discovering one’s purpose for living. Achen, who grows up in uganda, is not easily swayed by the idea of leaving the village and chasing her dreams in the city. She decides to stay in the village to fulfil her life’s purpose which entailed fighting for women’s rights in the village. Her belief in achieving her purpose makes her withstand the circumstances surrounding her and question why things are the way they are. Achen’s resilience emphasises the power of believing even when people around you say you should give up. Her belief made her stand firm in fulfilling her dream and be of service to others because she understood the change that needed to occur in the village.

nyakale’s life takes a different route as she discovers her life’s purpose only when she is at university in south Africa. At a young age she is exposed to loss and grief and some of her experiences force her to question her identity and ultimately discover who she is. in discovering her purpose, she is faced with the need to confront the reality of being separated from her twin, leading her to meeting up with Achen in uganda.

i enjoyed reading this book and switching between the perspectives of nyakale and Achen. i loved how ogwang builds the character of the two sisters by inviting the reader into each young woman’s thinking process, emotions and experiences. i saw myself identifying with some of the issues the sisters dealt with, having lived the village life and also having a taste of being in the city.

the book is full of wisdom and thought provoking statements that leave the reader questioning their own ideas about their life’s purpose. it also covers a multitude of topics which would call for dinner table discussions. themes of personal loss, identity, belonging, friendship and finding one’s purpose exist throughout the book, which makes for an intriguing read.

‘An image in A mirror’ showed me the importance of conviction leading you in the direction of the things that set your heart on fire, even though there may be no proof of a guaranteed outcome. this radical act of belief, evident in nyakale and Achen’s stories after discovering their passions, is also true of ogwang herself, venturing into the literary scene while completing her degree in Finance. i would say it has certainly paid off.

an image in a Mirrorreviewed by sinovuyo ndaleni

sinovuyo ndaleni is an investment analyst by profession. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking and writing poetry.

‘winter’ by chrIstAn bArnArD

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‘let go’ by hILLsOnG yOunG & free

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‘holding on’ by MAttheW MOLe

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WInTer ISSue 201825

‘still alive’ by reD

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‘lighthouse’by Marvin kimani

Tonight,

we come expectantly

some of us weary

and others wounded

hearts as heavy as anchors

caught up in the ocean of life

but here we are

though the waves crash

and the winds break

though we sometimes fear

and lose sight of faith

tonight, we come

in search of our true north

we come

for You are, and always will be

our hope, the only lighthouse

for these battered ships to sail to


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‘art oF hope’ by kb

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‘dreaMers’ by fOr kInG & cOuntry


WInTer ISSue 201827

‘where can I go?’ by LIz VIce

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