STANDING WHERE GOD STANDS (OUTSIDE THE GATE, WITH CHRIST): The Belhar Confession as a call for public pastoral care

This chapter begins by briefly discussing the main elements of the Belhar Confession as the source for a reflection on the call for public pastoral care. Recognising the importance of context, it will then revisit the socio-economic situation in the 1980s and draw some lines to the present situation in South Africa. The reference to Christ’s suffering ‘outside the gate’ or ‘outside the camp’ in Hebrews 13 forms a strong argument for the view that pastoral care should be public and not confined to the comfort and safety of our religious spaces. The Synoptic discussion of Hebrews 13:1-13 will take