Page 86 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6

AFRIKA IS GOD’S

WHO IS

MY BROTHER?

Samuel Phillips

ife can be quite complex and over- As Afrikans, either living in the continent or outside
whelming, and quite frankly, none of us of it, we are not strangers to pain, lack, underde-
is immune to this reality. The pressure velopment, poverty etc nor are we unappreciative
sometimes can be very alarming espe- of or strangers to wealth, abundance and the good
Lcially when there aren’t many shoulders things of life that come our way. We are just a mix
to lean on. Sometimes also, life can really be quite of many things as Afrikans. But of all the beautiful
comfortable to the point of making us lose touch or ugly things that can be spoken about Afrika,
with the reality on the outside world. It is very true one thing I think we should strongly pay attention
that almost all the time, we only see the world to and which we should protect, is our Afrikan
through our personal lenses, which is ok, but not brotherhood.
good enough. Our personal lenses of university Many times when I read history of tribes in Afrika,
degrees which make us think that anyone without I get quite stunned because all the lines seem to
a college degree is stupid, our personal glasses point to the original Bantu tribe. At a point, I was
of family wealth that make us think that all is well like, did all Afrikan tribes come from the Bantu
with the other man out there, our personal glasses tribe or is the Bantu tribe the original tribe that was
of righteousness that makes us see sin in others, created in Afrika as the cradle of humanity? I will
our personal glasses of good jobs that makes us love to know more about this. I used this Bantu
feel that the guy on the street with his certificate, tribe story to make a point that it is not a lie that
looking for job must be unlucky or is not working Afrikans are more deeply connected in the line
hard enough. So we have learned to ignore the of ancient blood than just being in this modern
things we are supposed to pay attention to as day continent we call home. Blood here, certainly
regards others and their plights. We have stopped is deeper than the waters and the borders that
being our brothers’ keepers. But the fact is, we all separate us.
need brothers.

86 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika