博客來A Memoir of Faith, Resilience, and Triumph Over Darkness
When a guitar string changed everything, a three-year-old boy’s journey of faith began.
Edwin Thomas Matthews lost his left eye in a freak accident during a church service-a moment that would define the trajectory of his entire life. Born in 1970 in apartheid-era South Africa to parents from two opposing Christian traditions, Edwin faced a triple burden from childhood: physical disability, religious persecution, and the crushing weight of systemic oppression.
Growing up with one eye in Hopetown, Northern Cape, Edwin navigated a world that seemed designed to defeat him. In a school system where Protestant children were targeted for their faith, where teachers wielded red pens like weapons and beatings replaced compassion, young Edwin endured humiliation, rejection, and cruelty that would have broken most children. But Edwin refused to be defeated.
Despite the physical and emotional scars that marked his childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood, Edwin discovered something extraordinary within himself-an unshakeable resilience and a gift that would eventually touch thousands. He became a school athletics sensation and an exceptional musician, earning the nickname ＂Kraai＂ for his remarkable vocal ability. He started his own band, recorded a CD titled Road of Blindness, and made a name for himself throughout the region.
But life had more challenges in store.
After living with a visual disability for three decades, Edwin lost his remaining eye to retinal detachment. Complete blindness descended upon him-yet it was in this darkness that his true vision emerged. It was in his blindness that he met Ansie, an angel who would help him rewrite his story. It was in his blindness that he got married, started a family, and triumphantly completed his Matric (Grade 12) school career as a blind student.
And it was in his blindness that Edwin discovered his prophetic gift.
Pentecost in My Blindness is more than a memoir-it’s a testament to the transformative power of faith, determination, and love to overcome even the darkest circumstances. It’s the story of a boy who couldn’t see with both eyes but whose vision for his future remained crystal clear. It’s proof that our deepest wounds can become our greatest strengths, and that the trials meant to destroy us can instead forge us into instruments of hope for others.
Today, Edwin Thomas Matthews is actively involved in music ministry and uses his prophetic gift for the upliftment of his church community. As a talented musician, spiritual leader, and trauma survivor, he has become a man-on-a-mission-well-equipped to guide, educate, and inspire those walking through their own valleys of darkness.
This is a story for anyone who has ever felt defeated by circumstances beyond their control.
For trauma survivors seeking hope. For those battling through divorce, separation, loss, or deep disappointment. For anyone living with physical or mental disabilities who needs to see what’s possible. For believers wrestling with faith in the midst of suffering. For anyone who needs to know that 22 years of darkness can be transformed into light for others.
Edwin’s journey from a one-eyed boy in apartheid South Africa to a blind prophet of purpose is a powerful reminder that vision has nothing to do with what our eyes can see-and everything to do with what our hearts refuse to stop believing.
A memoir of triumph over adversity. A testament to faith. A roadmap for transformation.
Co-authored by Edwin Thomas Matthews and Angus Peterson
