—a father’s thoughts
Article source: JOY! Magazine
On Wednesday 3 September 2025, my daughter was brutally attacked on Table Mountain, where she had been walking the Pipe Track alone. She was beaten with rocks and fists, her jacket was ripped off, and she was strangled.
As I struggle to make sense of the trauma that Emily* endured, I turned to Scripture for guidance. What could we learn from this – about God’s grace and love, about the assurance we have through Him, and about how He hears?
Paul’s teaching on suffering
Paul gives us a way to process such events. He writes that we should “glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces endurance; endurance, character; and character, hope … which has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:3-5). These words are easy to read, but difficult to live. How can we “glory in our suffering” when my daughter was seconds from death? Yet Paul points us to a process that carries value, even here.
Beyond the incident
This story is not about the incident itself, but about what we can see and learn from it. While there is great evil – which easily stirs anger, horror, and bitterness – there is also great love. God is love. And the grace and love of God through Jesus Christ is a powerful antidote to evil.
Emily’s final thoughts
In her final seconds, Emily had two thoughts. I say “thoughts” deliberately: we often say “in her final breath”, but there was no breath. She was being strangled and had nothing left. Yet her mind turned first to her sister, wondering how she would cope, and then to God, whom she called on in that moment. And He answered. As He promises in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you.”
The first lesson
This is the first lesson – call on me. What matters is not the outcome of calling on God – life or death – but His presence in that moment. He is there in life, and He is there in death. This time it was life, by seconds. But those who have suffered loss should know with confidence that God was alongside their loved one. The outcome differs, but it is not for us to explain why. What we can know is that God was there, and He knows all.
The second lesson
The second lesson is to bear witness to the miraculous and to recognise it as such – not coincidence, but God’s intervention. As Emily’s life was about to end, a runner appeared. He saw two limp legs on the path and acted, shouting and distracting. When the attacker threatened him with a rock, he picked one up too. The attacker fled. That runner should not have been there – he never runs that path, never runs that far, and runs in the mornings, not the afternoons. Yet God placed him there. The right man, at the right moment – trained in martial arts and able to deal with the situation.
How Emily fought
But before that came the first miracle – how Emily fought. Most people, when attacked, freeze and comply. Attackers know this, the police told me, especially those who have attacked before, as this man had. But she fought. While her hand was free, she fought until it was pinned. It bought her seconds – critical seconds, as it turned out.
Angels of compassion
Then came the third intervention. Two women appeared and immediately knew what was needed. They wrapped their arms around Emily. Only then did she realise how much she needed this compassion and kindness. Two angels – they would not have known that is what they were, but through the Holy Spirit they acted in a miraculous way. Perfect for the moment.
The mountain guide
And then the fourth. A man appeared who was a mountain guide. His group had cancelled, but he went anyway. He had numbers for SANParks rangers, the police, and WatchCon. Through him, the search for the man was set in motion. The attacker was soon arrested and has now been formally charged with attempted murder. He is off the mountain, and others are safer because of it.
How Emily is doing
How is Emily doing? She is okay. She said something powerful to me when trying to explain her emotions. For the past eight months she has been working through the 12 steps, dealing with extraordinary emotional pain as she confronted the behaviour and triggers that led her to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). She has been forced to look inward and see life through a new lens. Emily is surrounded by an extraordinary community of sufferers. While this story tells of her trauma, AA members carry their own stories. Their courage in facing them has given Emily courage. If this had to happen at any time in her life, then now was the time. She was equipped – with awareness, a support network, and tools to face trauma. Her emotional resilience, built over a year of pain and suffering, has fortified her. And my word, does she have character. Paul’s blueprint for suffering rings true.
Her faith journey
And her faith? She is not yet a Christ follower, but each day she wakes up and prays. She gives thanks. She knows her Heavenly Father is with her and that He has a purpose for her life.
Looking forward
What I now hold onto is how to look forward. Looking back at the “what ifs” would torture and twist my mind. Instead, I am learning that it is our response to adversity, not adversity itself, that shapes the story of our lives.
As this story is told, I hope Paul’s advice cuts through our visceral reaction to such horror: that it is through suffering we build resilience; through resilience, character; and through character, hope. For God’s love has indeed been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and He is with us – in life, as in death.
*Representative names and photos used because this criminal case is still ongoing
This article is featured in the November issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 18/10/2025
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only.
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