REMEMBERING OUR STORIES

REMEMBERING OUR STORIES

An intriguing article about a South African indigenous tribe, the Kalahari Bushmen, was published in the February 2000 edition of “National Geographic.”  It is reprinted in part below.

The Kalahari Bushmen were made famous in the movie, “The Gods Must be Crazy.”  Their recent history is quite sad, for in the last 100 years the Bushmen culture has been disappearing, along with their lands.  One of the saddest Bushmen settlements is Schmidtsridft, located in South Africa.  There two bushmen peoples, the Xu and the Khwe, who clash fiercely with one another, live like many indigenous peoples whose way of life has been destroyed.  They have grown dependent on government pensions and alcohol which, for many, has become an addictive anesthetic against their dislocation and loss. 

[Editor’s Note: This seems to be a mirror image of the historic plight of many Native Americans].

Mario Mahongo, the leader of the Xu Traditional Council at Schmidtsdrift, longs for his people to rediscover their spirit.  But the problem is they have lost their stories.  “A lot of our culture,” he says, “is lost in our lives – the old stories that were told by mothers and fathers who would go into the bush and then return to tell others what they had seen.  The problem is that now no one goes out and does anything, so we have no stories to tell our children.  We have nothing to pass on.”

Thank you, National Geographic, for there is much to learn from this tragic tale of human loss and identity lost.  The stories that we pass on ultimately shape and define us.  They show us the way forward and offer us meaning, direction and values.  In ancient West African culture, the village GRIOT [pronounced gree-OH] had the important task of memorizing and sharing rich details of tribal lore and legacy for present and future generations.  Here’s a creative suggestion.  Perhaps, you could consider becoming your family griot since it is extremely important that our children learn, remember and reflect upon the legacy and values that lie at the heart of our families and cultures.

However, just as importantly for us Christians (if not more so) are the awesome stories that are recorded in the Holy Writ, stories which define our faith and forge the foundation of our faith-story.  The late Bishop O. T. Jones, Jr. reminded us, “If you seek to truly understand the Word, never neglect to learn and memorize the STORIES of the Bible.”  The Word’s admonition on this important matter is that we ponder these instructive and inspirational stories daily, sharing them systematically and enthusiastically with our children and our children’s children. (Deuteronomy 6:4-12) The Bible contains such a wide array of diverse and fascinating stories that it would even put ‘Mother Goose’ to shame!  So…Read.  Meditate.  Share.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!