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.”  Below, it is reprinted in part.

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 have clashed 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 anesthetic against their dislocation and loss. 

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

Mario Mahongo, the leader of the Xu Traditional Council at Schmidtsdrift, longs for his people to rediscover some of 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 the 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 sharing because there is much to learn from this tragic tale.  In truth, the stories that we pass on will 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 idea.  Perhaps, you could consider becoming your family’s griot since it is extremely important that our children learn, remember and reflect upon the legacy and values that lie at the heart of family and culture.

However, just as importantly for Christians (if not more so) are the awesome stories recorded in the Holy Writ, which forge the foundation of our defining faith-story.  The late Bishop Ozro Thurston Jones, Jr. often reminded us, “If you seek to truly understand the Word, never neglect to learn and memorize the stories of the Bible.”  What is the biblical admonition regarding this important matter?  We must read these instructive and inspirational stories daily.  And we must also be sure to share them, systematically and enthusiastically, with our children and our children’s children. (Deuteronomy 6:4-12)  The Holy Bible contains such a wide array of diverse and fascinating stories that it even puts ‘Mother Goose’ to shame!  Let’s remember that – whenever we are preparing our young ones for a long night of peaceful slumber.

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