Page 106 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 7

COMMUNITY
bol of wisdom and the regret of
wasted years is real.
In Afrika, old age is synonymous
with wisdom. And that's why an
Afrikan proverb says that "When
a child washes his hands clean,
he will be permitted to eat with
the elders". This proverb may
mean several things to several
cultures in Afrika but generally it
means that when a child begins
to manifest wisdom, then he is
given the chance to speak in the
midst of the elders.
I grew up in Afrika knowing this
proverb and the potency of its
meaning. It made a whole lot
of sense to me back then that
someday I too was going to be
called an elder, because some-
how I always found myself
among older men. In fact, I bare- tion next will suffer. Wisdom was
ly have friends my own age. But
over the years in the same Afri-
ka, and even as we stepped into
the internet age, things started
changing. Life was changing.
The act of honor and respect
for elders started changing.
People to people interactions
started changing to silence over
phones. Friendships started be-
coming numbers and photos on
Facebook and Instagram. They
say truth should be found in
the mouths of elders, but right
before my eyes, I could see el-
ders dancing in lies, speaking
with forked tongues like snakes
and wisdom started to fade
into oblivion. Wisdom started
to become what we merely talk
about but not what we manifest.
I started seeing that the elders
who were supposed to be the
carriers and custodians of wis-
dom were beginning to manifest
foolishness. Foolishness started
gaining strength and wisdom
was been mocked at, because
many sit in the midst of the el-
106 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika
ders, not because they are wise, fact that we are beginning to see
but because they have money. and hear more people take the
Wisdom has been brought over responsibility for a better Afri-
to the kingdom of foolishness, kan narrative, but the question
and the elders who can afford is this, what really is the foun-
to sell their souls are now the dation of this whole protest and
gatekeepers who are allowing what is the vision or goal we are
foolishness into the home of trying to achieve through it? I will
wisdom. leave you with those questions.
And so, the Afrikan way of truth A wise son
was corrupted and now Afrikans Of Jesus it is written thus,
grope in the dark, reaching out " And it happened, as He spoke
to anything that pays, while ne- these things, that a certain wom-
glecting the wisdom that says an from the crowd raised her
that he who beats the devil's voice and said to Him, “Blessed
drum will dance the dance of is the womb that bore You, and
death. the breasts which nursed You!”
(Luke 11:27)
I see old politicians in our Afri- This story talks about Jesus
kan nations making policies, sharing some revelational words
decisions, choices that lack wis- of wisdom to the crowd and a
dom and for which the genera- woman among them made the
above statement. Now imagine
supposed to be found in the bo- yourself as a young Afrikan man
som of the elders, but in the dis- speaking on TV, or a radio show,
pensation that we find ourselves or the street, in a conference, or
in, foolishness and the worship wherever else you are speaking,
of money and gain have taken will men be able to listen to your
over, to the detriment of the words and proclaim that Afrika
beauty called Motherland Afrika. the Motherland is blessed for
having you? Please think about
A new generation of wise sons this critically.
God, nature, the universe does
not wait for anyone. If the gener- As Afrikans, we must begin to
ation of wise men that we have shift our hearts away from just
now have decided to sell their ourselves alone or our immedi-
Afrikan lot for money and that ate families and to start to think,
which nourishes the body and speak and act Afrika, while cre-
not the soul, then there must ating a new culture that upholds
arise a new generation of young love, compassion, brotherhood,
people who know what it means Ubuntu instead of the self-hate
to be wise and by that knowl- that we have for ourselves.
edge will create a new pathway For the truth is, let’s say for ex-
of truth, justice, equity, balance, ample the white race suddenly
honesty, love, kindness, com- disappeared from our world
passion and brotherliness that completely, do we have the mor-
will secure for us a future in Afri- al and inner strength to uphold
ka. I watched the protests going a new and unified Afrikan Black
on all over the world concerning race?
the Black Lives Matter story and Just think about it.
I tried to understand some things
about it all. Certainly I love the
HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY