Page 75 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23

Community
evil plot to rob others of their
possessions. It grows from
ignorance of identifying one’s
lot and the means necessary to
attain it.
Among the Seven Deadly Sins,
we are now left with sloth. The
extremely lazy human being
who doesn’t value hard work
is dominated by lethargy. The
healthy human being knows the
value of rest so as to refresh
and start anew. But sloth is a
permanent desire to rest and
never partake in the activities
required to sustain life. It is
irrational and incongruous to
want ones needs fulfilled but
never facilitate the means to
attain them. This results in the
person becoming a parasite and
the people who depend on him
to be left unprotected.
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I think it is wise to say a few
words on the heroes of our
time, for they illuminate the
values we share as a society.
We may ask, who really are
our contemporary heroes?
Are they not the corrupted
who reap fortune by snatching
from the destitute of the little
they possess? Are they not
the tyrants who make false
promises to the people and
rule not through love but
intimidation? Are they not
the power craving and bigot
leaders who try to extend their
exploitation through divide
and conquer? Are they not
the sluggish business people
who do not know hard work
but only shortcuts? Are we
not praising the merchant who
takes pleasure in raising prices
and profiting more than the
producer? Do we not aspire
to become like the so called
entrepreneur who makes a
fortune by appealing to the
dreams and aspirations of the
poor only to escape without
fulfilling them? The answer to
all these rhetorical questions
is YES. These villains and
scoundrels are heroes because
material and money has
become our God. We are
willing to forgive and forget all
as long as the lowlife criminal
manages to make a fortune. We
put a price tag on everything,
even on our values and the
precious human life. We have
become insanity and stupidity
par excellence!
Despite the pessimistic reality
I witness, I remain optimistic.
This is because we still have
some hope for recovery. It was
not long ago that we embraced
the sins, so some part of us
still knows what virtue used
to represent. The comfort
zone we created is not really
comfortable. A sense of shame
and discomfort is crucial
to change. The process of
healing humanity begins with
revaluation of values.
ISSUE 23 | JANUARY 2024 75