I honestly have no idea what people mean when they say, “We should reject wokeism”. Indeed, I have no idea what they mean by “wokeism” at all, though it reminds me a lot of “political correctness gone mad” — which is to say, we oppose disenfranchised people standing up for their rights. Personally, I refuse to use these terms, loaded with an ill-defined derogatory sentiment. It just seems to be media-speak designed to dispossess people of their natural inclination to pursue equality, fairness and justice. If being alert to injustice is woke, then count me in.

By now we are forgotten. Most we once knew have forgotten us, and we have forgotten them. Amidst 7.7 billion bodies, we are strangers, unknown. Amidst our 68 million countrymen, we are nobodies, known only to a few. We barely know our neighbours; only a few faces on our street.

A chance encounter with one I once knew years ago. How incredible how far our paths have diverged. A choice here, took my life off in one direction; another choice, another direction altogether, on and on, multiplied through the years. A choice there, took their life in a completely different direction too. Now we reside in completely different worlds, so unalike, walking completely different paths. How utterly extraordinary.

So convinced were they that God was on their side, that they voted for an executive presidency. But God does not play human politics. If the government should be brought down by anger at the sliding economy, what does that mean for the faithful now? Imagine an executive presidency staffed by a rabid secularist, with the power to rule by decree, turning back the clock on two decades of reforms to enable religious freedom. Of course, the masses are angry today, calling for early elections. The bold vision of the powerful might be about to come crashing down. Alas, the short-sighted plans of the faithful might mean dark days lie ahead. An executive presidency may sound fine when it’s your man in power, but should your fortunes change? Yes, perhaps trampling on the rights of others was not such a great plan after all.

It’s inevitable. If you call out the rich and powerful, you must expect the rich and powerful to call you out. If you dish dirt on others, expect others to dish the dirt on you. You may be allowed to savour your day of glory, but behind the scenes your opponents will already have started digging for dirt to discredit you. So beware of skeletons in the closet. Beware of your own biases and behaviour. Society will have us believe that only the righteous saint may call out wicked conduct; the sinner must rightfully be ignored. Soon enough, the whistleblower will be discredited absolutely.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my ungrateful nation. I’m sorry that you came to these shores to staff our hospitals, to make up for labour shortfalls and fill skills shortages, and were then treated like dirt by the very people that should have welcomed you. I am sorry that you built the institutions which the nation claims to hold dear, but received no gratitude at all. I am sorry for our boastful arrogance while we trample the rights of those to whom we should be eternally grateful. I’m sorry that we could not just say thank you. I pray that the One compensates in full all who have been wronged by this ungrateful nation.

Naively, I thought we were becoming a post-racist society. I thought we had made great strides forward towards treating each other with respect. I’m embarrassed and ashamed to find that this isn’t the case. Now I have Dory from Finding Nemo ringing in my head: “Just keep swimming…” So much work still to do.

I might be wrong in absolutely everything. My opinions may be completely off track, founded on misinformation or supposition. I may be the great unjust.

We think that good intentions can transform even the most foolish or most impractical acts into the most amazing and good. Well, yes, of course we say: may they be rewarded for their good intentions.