African
Proverb of the Month
June, 1998
Nalukolekejaga sonda (ng'weli) walola lwala.
(Sukuma)
Nilikuonyesha nyota (mwezi) na uliangalia kidole tu. (Swahili)
I pointed out to you the stars (the moon) and all you saw was the tip of my
finger. (English)
Sukuma ( Tanzania )
Explanation:
In the history of the Sukuma people in
Tanzania in East Africa (and African people everywhere) there is a great
richness and wealth in their culture, language, traditions and customs (like
the vast richness of the stars). But people recognize, understand and use only
a very small part of this treasure (like seeing only the tip of one's finger).
Similarly in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ there is "the
breadth and length and height and depth" (Ephesians 3:18) (like the
vast richness of the stars). But people recognize, understand and use only a
very small part of this treasure (like seeing only the tip of one's finger).
This Sukuma proverb also teaches that
sometimes people can focus on the wrong part or point of a particular subject
such as African culture, that is, look at the tip of the finger of the culture
rather than its stars. The challenge of inculturation and contextualization is
to go beyond the superficial changes in liturgy and religious symbols to an
all-encompassing pastoral inculturation that has African flesh and blood.
Similarly, people can focus on the wrong part or point of the Bible and the
teachings of Jesus Christ. The challenge is to go beyond the rules and
regulations of the Bible to a complete transformation in the Christian life.
This Sukuma proverb also hints at the vast
treasure and many possibilities in using African proverbs and other forms of
African oral literature and oral communication to preach the gospel and develop
an inculturated and contextualized African Christianity. This is one of the
great challenges of inculturation in the Christian Churches in Africa today: to
make a correlation between African oral literature and cultural symbols and
Christianity and to express this in pastoral theological reflections and
actions that concretely speak to people's every day life. This task includes
both theology and praxis in developing a functional African Christianity and an
applied pastoral inculturation.
For further information see pages 17 and 53
(Notes 1 and 2) in Towards An African Narrative Theology (available from
Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi, Kenya and Orbis Books, Maryknoll New
York, USA as well as from online bookstores).
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
July, 1998
Nunya, adidoe, asi metunee o. (Akan and Ewe)
La science est le tronc d'un baobab qu'une seule personne ne peut embrasser
(French)
Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. (English)
Akan and Ewe (Benin, Ghana and Togo)
Explanation:
This
Ghanian proverb which exists in different forms in many African languages can
be applied to the vast treasure of African oral literature. As John Mbiti says
concerning African proverbs: "One person cannot collect them all, cannot
analyze them all, cannot put them all into their context and cannot use them
all." This metaphor also explains that human wisdom is so great that it
would be presumptuous and arrogant of a single individual to claim to have mastered
it all.
A biblical
parallel is Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:18: "I pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and
length and height and depth" of Christ's love.
John Mbiti
also points out that many hands have been involved in the development of the
African Proverbs Project: “They come from different countries and regions of
Africa, and from beyond. They are men and women whose arms, hands and fingers
are adorned with golden bracelets and diamond rings of – you guessed it –
African proverbs. But in these books [published by the African Proverbs
Project], those hands stretch out towards others – to touch, to embrace, to
warm, to give support along the path that leads to the Source of life.”
Rev.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
August, 1998
Atannayita: y'atenda nnyina obufumbi
(=okufumba)
The person who has not traveled widely thinks his or her mother is the only
cook (the best cook).
Ganda (Uganda)
Also found in:
Akamba and Gikuyu (Kenya)
Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria)
Haya (Tanzania)
Bemba (Zambia)
Explanation:
This
Ugandan proverb (found in many African languages to produce a continent-wide
proverb cluster) describes a person who remains at home without visiting other
people and without traveling to other places. The person is used to his or her
home only and to the food in his or her own home. But the proverb teaches the
very opposite value to just staying at home and encourages people to go out and
learn from others. Without doing this human beings can be self- centered and
think that they are better than others. By staying in their own little world
people become isolated.
This and
similar African proverbs point to the same universal truth. If people stay in
the same place, if human beings are confined to a particular country or group
of people or point of view or ideology, then they can remain individualistic,
provincial, tribalistic, nationalistic, and racialistic. Thus people stay in
their narrow, ghetto-like worlds.
But this
Ganda proverb teaches the universal human experience of moving out, of going
elsewhere. This reaching out experience is a learning experience as seen in
many similar African proverbs and sayings. Traveling broadens the mind and
enlarges one's experience. The missionary experience is very similar. It is an
experience of moving out and reaching out. "And Jesus said to them,
"Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole
creation" (Mark 16:15). Missionaries are not meant to look inward
only but to reach out. Missionaries are called to explore new vistas and new
ways of doing things, to be flexible and ready for new experiences.
Missionaries adapt to new and unexpected situations.
Rev.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
September, 1998
Iireragira ruku-ini ni ikaya kuigana.
It [a bug] grows up in dry wood, and yet comes to maturity.
Gikuyu (Kenya) Proverb
Explanation:
There is a
type of insect or bug which is found in dry wood. This insect is so thin and
pale that you can easily mistake it for a splinter of wood. Except for its
movements, you would not know that it is alive. It makes one wonder what it
feeds on inside the dry wood. Whatever it feeds on must be something very tiny,
and yet it is able to sustain itself. It is as a result of observing this bug
that the Gikuyu came up with the above proverb.
This
proverb is teaching us that we do not need much in the way of material things
to grow and to sustain our life. In modern times the truth of this proverb is
illustrated by children from poor families, and especially street children, who
are born and raised under very difficult conditions, and yet attain maturity
and state of health comparable to those of the rich.
There are
two applications of this proverb for modern times, a secular and a religious
one. At the secular level, this proverb is calling for voluntary simplicity on
the part of individuals and nations which indulge in overconsumption without
any thought whether they are leaving anything for others, especially now that
resources are getting more and more scarce. These individuals and nations
should heed the words of Mahatma Gandhi to the effect that the resources of the
earth are enough for everyone's needs, but not for everyone,s greed. Likewise,
they should listen to Buddha when he says that man's happiness is inverse
proportion to the multiplication of material possessions.
At the
religious (Christian) level, we have the words of Jesus regarding the birds of
the air which do not sow or gather into barns and yet God the Father feeds them
adequately (Matthew 6:26). If this is so, why should humans--who are
more precious than the birds of the air--fret as to what they will eat, drink,
or wear? Here Jesus is teaching us that we ought to put our trust in God rather
than in material things. The overall import of this proverb is that proper
development ought to take into consideration not only modern science and
technology, but also other humanistic values, especially traditional wisdom.
Dr. Gerald
Wanjohi
Nairobi, Kenya
E Mail: gwanjohi@thorntree.com
African
Proverb of the Month
October, 1998
Ukapanda mano usamaswe phale.
If you have no teeth, do not break the clay cooking pot.
Chewa (Malawi) Proverb
Nyanja (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia) Proverb
Explanation:
Many years
ago before iron ware became common, clay pots were very common for cooking.
This proverb evolves from this past time. As we are all aware, clay products
are breakable.
Maize
(corn) is the staple food in Malawi (and most African countries) from which we
make "nsima" (hard porridge from maize flour eaten with relish). But
maize is also fried and eaten.When the maize grains dry out on the cobs, they
are shelled and cooked in a frying pan. When the maize turns brown it is ready
to eat, but only those with strong teeth enjoy the maize for it is hard to
chew. Stories have been told that some people have broken their teeth in an
effort to chew the fried maize.
This
proverb is best told with the following story. Once people lived happily
together in a season when maize was still green in the fields and everybody ate
the cooked green maize. Only one old woman in the group had a clay pot which
they used for all their cooking. This woman had no teeth but during this time
she was happy too as she was able to eat the green maize. The season passed and
all the maize in the fields dried out. Those with teeth would come and borrow
the clay cooking pot from the old lady to fry their maize. She became jealous
of these people who were able to eat fried maize and decided to break the clay
cooking pot. In so doing she thought they could all suffer.
The people
came and found that the pot was broken. The old lady was at this point very
hungry. One boy came and said, "We brought you this fresh green maize. But
now how are you going to cook it?"
This
proverb teaches that jealousy or greed does not pay. You end up ruining your
own life. There are people in our society who have basic things which other
people lack but in one way or another they don't use them; rather they misuse
these things instead of lending them to those who might use them to their
advantage.
Thus the
idea of wanting to be the only one possessing an item which your friends don't
have. While they need it you don't lend it out. This may in turn backfire. For
example, what is the use of burning clothes you don't use instead of giving
them to people who need them. These people might assist you in a way you never
thought they could if you had helped them. More important is the blessing you
get from God for assisting others or giving out things. "Blessed is the
hand that gives."
Mr. Simon
Sikwese
The Story Workshop, Malawi
E Mail: media@malawi.net
African
Proverb of the Month
November, 1998
It takes a whole village to raise a child.
Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria) Proverb
Explanation:
This Igbo
and Yoruba (Nigeria) proverb exists in different forms in many African
languages. The basic meaning is that child upbringing is a communal effort. The
responsibility for raising a child is shared with the larger family (sometimes
called the extended family). Everyone in the family participates especially the
older children, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and even cousins. It is not
unusual for African children to stay for long periods with their grandparents
or aunts or uncles. Even the wider community gets involved such as neighbors
and friends. Children are considered a blessing from God for the whole
community. This communal responsibility in raising children is also seen in the
Sukuma (Tanzania) proverb "One knee does not bring up a child" and in
the Swahili (East and Central Africa) proverb "One hand does not nurse a
child."
In general
this Nigerian proverb conveys the African worldview that emphasizes the values
of family relationships, parental care, self-sacrificing concern for others,
sharing, and even hospitality. This is very close to the Biblical worldview as
seen in scripture texts related to unity and cooperation (Ecclesiastes 4:9,12) and
a mother's self-sacrificing love (Isaiah 49:15-16).
The
multiple uses of this Nigerian proverb show the timeliness and relevancy of
African proverbs in today's world. In 1996 Hillary Clinton, the wife of the
President of the United States, published a book on children and family values
entitled "It Takes a Village" based on this proverb. That same year
Maryknoll Father Don Sybertz and I published the first edition of our book
"Towards An African Narrative Theology" (now available from Paulines
Publications Africa, Nairobi, Kenya and Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York, USA).
In Chapter Three on "Community'' we used this Nigerian proverb and many
other African proverbs and sayings on the values of community, unity,
cooperation and sharing. In Dallas, Texas there was a controversy over four
security guards that whipped some kids who broke into a mall. The parents of
the kids said that the guards had no right to discipline their kids, but the
guards said that they did what they did because "the village raises the
children."
The
Anglican Archbishop John Sentamu of York, England at a consultation in
Swanwick, England in September, 2005 stated: "As It takes a whole
village to raise a child so it takes the whole global village to
eradicate poverty . It starts with each of us personally. [For example] do
we buy Fairtrade goods?"
Rev.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
January, 1999
Turina keessatt killen millaan adeemti.
By persevering the egg walks on legs.
Oromo (Ethiopia) Proverb
Explanation:
"Waiting
inside the egg eventually by foot goes." (Literal English translation
following the Oromo word order)
"By persevering the egg walks on legs." (Flowing English translation)
Patience enables one to succeed. (Meaning of the proverb)
The
research on this proverb was part of a long-term goal to publish a book that
harmonizes the four Gospels with Oromo proverbs. The book is called "The
Ears Do Not Understand, Only the Mind Does" (1992) following what Jesus
said: "Let anyone with ears to hear listen" (Luke 8:8). This book has
over 2,100 Oromo proverbs aligned to Gospel verses. This Oromo proverb uses the
example of the egg and the chicken to teach the value of patience and
perseverance. Little by little the egg will go on its own, that is, it will
hatch as a chick that walks on its own legs.
The
corresponding biblical text is: "I tell you, even though he will not get
up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his
persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs" (Luke 11:8).
Our work at the Galilee Oromo Research Center in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia is
intended to help the Oromo people preserve and understand their cultural
wisdom. Once I asked Roland Murphy, a scripture scholar, whether he thought
that gathering proverbs was related to evangelization as traditionally
understood. He answered "yes," explaining that it is another way of
approaching God by his revelation through nature. I think that the proper study
of humankind is God's plan for people as narrated in the Bible and in the
ancient wisdom of proverbs.
Rev.
George G. Cotter, M.M.
Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
African
Proverb of the Month
February, 1999
Uwaingila mu mushintu, tomfwa nswanswa.
One who enters the forest does not listen to the breaking of the twigs in the
brush.
Bemba (Zambia) Proverb
Explanation:
One who
embarks upon a task should not begin to fear or look for the slightest
obstacles in his or her endeavors. The person should remain focused on the task
despite what one may hear or see in the process of the quest. Ignoring
fruitless or imaginary distractions is the key to achievement.
Scriptural
Parallels to the Proverb: From his first appearance in public
(see Mark 1:14-15), Jesus made clear that he intended to teach people
how to live in the reign of God with love and compassion, peace and justice,
holiness and freedom. His ultimate intent was that all might come to fullness
of life here on earth and hereafter for eternity. "I came that you might
have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Even with violent
opposition, opposition that saw him crucified on the cross, Jesus remained
faithful to the will of his father.
Application
of the Proverb: This proverb is widely used in Zambia
for many ceremonies, for example, at weddings, religious vow ceremonies,
priestly ordinations, initiation ceremonies, etc. It is meant to encourage
people to remain faithful in their tasks and vocations, especially those calls
that are meant to bring life to others.
Seminarian
James Mulenga, S.J.
Jesuit Community, Boston College, U.S.A.
E Mail: mulenga@bc.edu
African
Proverb of the Month
March, 1999
Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji apone.
Let the guest come so that the host or hostess may benefit (get well).
Swahili (Eastern and Central Africa) Proverb
Explanation:
Besides
being a very popular Swahili proverb that is heard every day, this proverb is
found in other African languages such as Haya (Tanzania) and Luyia (Kenya). The
guest or visitor brings many blessings for the local people and home.
Traditionally the proverb had different levels of meanings:
1.
The arrival of a guest meant a big meal of welcome, perhaps
killing a chicken or a goat. All the local family members enjoyed the special
meal with plenty of good food and drink. Everyone ate meat that they would not
have on ordinary days. It was a special time of happiness for the children and
a break from some of the ordinary family chores.
2.
The guest brought gifts for the host or hostess and the
family members. Sometimes the guest brought meat or bananas as a symbol of
building good relationships. If the visitor came with news of a death in his or
her family this could also be considered a type of gift -- the guest was
offering himself or herself in real life.
3.
The guest brought new things (for example, medicine, seeds)
that could help the life of the local residents. Sometimes the local people got
well by using the new medicine. Thus the proverb had a literal meaning on one
level.
4.
The guest brought news of relatives and friends living in other
parts of the country. This is an important part of the African extended family
network. The Nyamwezi Ethnic Group in the Tabora area of Tanzania emphasizes
that a guest should be received well because the person may be bringing
important and good news.
In the
same vein John Mbiti comments: "Hospitality and tender care are shown to
visitors, strangers and guests. In the eyes of African peoples "The
visitor heals the sick" (African proverb). This means that when a visitor
comes to someone's home, family quarrels stop, the sick cheer up, peace is
restored, and the home is restored to new strength. Visitors are, therefore,
social healers -- they are family doctors in a sense."
There are
very interesting parallels to Jesus Christ in this Swahili proverb. One of the
African names for Jesus Christ is "Our Guest." Through the
incarnation Christ became the most important guest of all time. He loved
humankind enough to join the human race. He was the guest of the shepherds in
Bethlehem; the guest of Joseph and Mary in the manger; the guest of Zacchaeus
the tax collector ("Hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house
today" -- Luke 19:5), the guest of all people everywhere.
There are
also significant theological parallels with this African proverb:
1.
Jesus comes to people as guest in the Eucharist, the source and summit of
the Christian life and the sign and sacrament of union with the risen Christ
and with each other. "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in
me, and I in them" (John 6:56). "We who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Other than
his Eucharistic presence Jesus comes to people in three ways. In his first
coming he was seen on earth dwelling among people. In his final coming he will
be seen in glory and majesty. These are visible presences. The second or middle
coming is invisible and hidden. Human beings discern Christ's presence through
faith. Jesus who himself comes to us here and now says: "Listen! I am
standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will
come in to you and eat with you, and you with me" (Revelation 3:20).
Jesus leaves human beings free. People have to open the door of their hearts
and lives and let the Lord come in.
2.
Jesus brought the best gift possible -- reconciliation between human
beings and God. "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2
Corinthians 5:17). He brought peace and love between human beings themselves.
His gift of salvation, redemption, and eternal life is the most precious gift
of all time. "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he
gave power to become children of God" (John 1:12). This is a great
challenge for peace and reconciliation in Africa where presently 17 countries
are involved in civil wars and internal conflicts.
3.
Jesus is the savior who comes as the guest who heals. He is the healing
guest. Through their relationship with Christ human beings get well. Christ is
the "Great Healer." Through the sacraments, prayer, and scripture he
heals people of all sicknesses -- physical, psychological, and spiritual. This
is holistic healing. This resonates deeply with African people.
Rev.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
(For a further explanation see Chapter 4
called "A Guest is a Blessing" in Towards an African Narrative
Theology)
African
Proverb of the Month
April, 1999
Omoonto umwi nkirunguuri, ababere nitoonge
rebukima
One person is thin porridge or gruel; two or three people are a lump (handful)
of ugali (stiff cooked meal/flour from sorghum or millet).
Kuria (Tanzania and Kenya) Proverb
Explanation:
"Ugali"
(a Swahili word) is the basic food of the Kuria Ethnic Group who live near the
border in Northwest Tanzania and Southwest Kenya. This food is a stiff cooked
substance served hot that is made from made from the meal or flour of sorghum, millet,
maize (corn) or cassava (sometimes a mixture of these different grains
according to the specific situation). A Kuria person would not feel that he or
she has eaten a real meal unless eating "ugali." It is also one of
the staple foods in East Africa. When boiled in water to the thin consistency
of porridge or gruel, it is a light food normally taken at breakfast, given as
a first drink before eating "ugali" or given to a sick person. This
signifies weakness, like a single person. But allowed to harden into "ugali,"
the meal or flour has a firmness and substance like a group of people who work
together. The way it is prepared (in a hard ball-like shape) and eaten (a
fistful that is squeezed and chewed) signifies strength.
The
"ugali" symbolizes that when two or more people come together they
become strong because of unity. Their separation would weaken them like thin
porridge. The basic theme of this Kuria proverb is "unity is
strength." The proverb is used to encourage unity within the family community.
One practical way of expressing this unity is the joint material contribution
of cows for the dowry (bridewealth) when a Kuria man gets married. Sometime the
dowry is 25 cows which is not possible for one person to pay. So the family
members come together and ask that each one give a cow to make up the total
number needed.
This
proverb is also found in the Ngoreme Ethnic Group in Northwest Tanzania and has
many parallels in other Africa proverbs with the "unity is strength"
theme. A biblical parallel is Ecclesiastes 4:9,12: "Two are better
than one...A threefold cord is not quickly broken." This proverb teaches
the importance of unity and cooperation. It is used frequently in seminars on
Small Christian Communities (SCCs) to teach and promote the values of unity, cooperation,
joint responsibility and sharing. The food metaphor of this Kuria proverb is
also effective in many teaching situations.
Mwalimu
Emmanuel Chacha and Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: epchacha@yahoo.com
and JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
May, 1999
Lepotla-potla le ja poli; lesisitheho le ja
khomo.
The "hurry-hurry" person eats goat; the one who takes his or her time
(or hesitates) eats beef.
Sesotho (Lesotho and South Africa) Proverb
Explanation:
Angora goats are
raised throughout the mountains of Lesotho in Southern Africa. Their coats of
mohair are a major agricultural export. Sometimes the Basotho people do eat the
goats. However, the cow is the animal that the Basotho people prize, love and
respect. Cattle are the animals slaughtered on special occasions, the focus of
bridal negotiations between families and the chief measure of wealth. The
Basotho even have a saying: "Khomo ke banka ea Mosotho" ("A cow
is the bank of a Sotho person"). Thus the goat symbolizes something which
is merely economic and rather superficial from a Sotho perspective. The cow
symbolizes all that is deeply meaningful about life and family. Goat meat may
feed the body, but beef feeds the soul.
This proverb (often only the first half is quoted and the rest is taken for
granted) is an excellent warning for time-conscious Westerners in
time-oblivious Africa. Life is too short to spend hurrying. Only the person who
takes his or her time in life will ever "get to eat beef," that is,
be deeply satisfied by the truly meaningful things in life. Perhaps the West is
starting to learn this lesson. An American writer has recently noted,
"Almost nothing of any lasting spiritual significance is ever done by
anyone who is in a hurry." He adds the observation that the Gospels never
describe Jesus as being in a hurry. Jesus knew better, and so do the Basotho
people.
Dr. Stan Nussbaum
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
E Mail: stan@gmi.org
African
Proverb of the Month
June, 1999
Umwáansi aguciira icoobo, Imáana ikaguciira
icaanzo.
Quand l'ennemi creuse une tombe pour toi, Dieu te prépare une issue de
secours(French)
When an enemy digs a grave for you, God gives you an emergency exit (English)
Kirundi (Burundi)
Explanation:
Icaanzo, in Kirundi, is a kind of low and narrow opening made in the fence
around the family house or urugo ("kraal"). This icaanzo is most
often made in the back courtyard for two main uses: First, as a usual entrance
for the women and children when they want to get in unnoticed especially during
public functions; second, as a secret emergency exit in case of danger coming
from the main and public entrance called iréembo.
Considered in this second use, the icaanzo is a symbol of safety and security
in case of danger threatening one's life. That is why it is opposed to the
icoobo ("grave"), symbol of a certain death. The proverb insists on
the fact that the icoobo ("grave") is made by your enemy umwáansi,
while the icaanzo ("emergency exit") by which you escape is made for
you by God Imáana.
This proverb is used whenever someone feels threatened by other people and
shows God's love, mercy and power. He saves those who are helpless before human
iniquity and who put their trust in Him, those who like Abraham, according to
St. Paul, are "hoping against hope" (Romans 4:18).
This proverb has many biblical parallels such as Daniel 3:19-30 where
Daniel's three friends were thrown into a blazing furnace for their faith in
Yahweh, but God saved them and sent them an angel to protect them from being
consumed in the fire. Another biblical reference that serves as a parallel to
this Kirundi proverb is Esther 5 - 7 where King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)'s
Prime Minister Haman wanted the Jew Mordecai to be hanged on a gallows
especially built for this purpose. But instead of being hanged, Mordecai was
honoured and promoted to very high functions while Haman himself was hanged in
place of Mordecai.
Mr. Dennis J. Bukuru
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: dennis_bukuru@hotmail.com
African
Proverb of the Month
July, 1999
Heri pazia kuliko bendera.
Better a curtain hanging motionless than a flag blowing in the wind.
Swahili (Eastern and Central Africa)
Explanation:
This common and popular Swahili proverb has been used for many years to
emphasize the values of steadiness, consistency and single-minded purpose. It
is one of the sayings on East African "khangas" (colorful cotton
cloth with many designs).
Now this traditional proverb that taken on a new meaning in the context of
contemporary Africa. A new understanding has come in AIDS education and
awareness which is one of the greatest challenges in African society. The
proverb is now used especially to caution young people to stay with one partner
(one curtain in the house) rather than "play around" with many partners
(flag blowing to and fro). The main themes are faithfulness and a sense of
responsibility in personal relationships.
There are obvious religious applications. This Swahili proverb is used in
teaching about faithfulness and loyalty in courtship, the engagement period and
marriage. See the biblical parallels in the metaphors of marital fidelity:
"Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well"
(Proverbs 5:15). "For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they
are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let
no one separate" (Matthew 19:5-6).
This proverb also shows how African youth continue to use familiar African
proverbs and sayings especially about personal relationships. These proverbs
and sayings convey meaning and values related to the importance of good human
relationships.
(For a
further explanation see Chapter 1 in Towards an African Narrative Theology)
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
E Mail: JGHealey@aol.com
African
Proverb of the Month
August, 1999
Kotoku tew a, na mmati adwo.
When the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest.
Twi ( Ghana )
Explanation:
As the day approached for my departure from the USA to attend a leadership
development seminar in West Africa, I kept hoping for my visa and passport to
come back from the embassy. I phoned and faxed regularly without ever being
sure I had reached the right person's desk or answering machine. Six days after
I was supposed to leave my visa arrived, but by then I had abandoned the trip
plan because the seminar was almost over.
As the day approached for my departure from the USA to attend a leadership
development seminar in West Africa, I kept hoping for my visa and passport to
come back from the embassy. I phoned and faxed regularly without ever being
sure I had reached the right person's desk or answering machine. Six days after
I was supposed to leave my visa arrived, but by then I had abandoned the trip
plan because the seminar was almost over.
This proverb is a good African lesson for Americans like me. When plans run
into problems, one does not have to become overly frustrated. As Psalm 127:2
says, "In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to
eat -- for he grants sleep to those he loves." Frustrating our plans may
be God's gracious way of giving his unwisely overeager servants a rest.
NOTE: I read this proverb in Guy Zona's The House of the Heart Is
Never Full which does not say which language or country the proverb comes
from. With the help of the African Proverbs CD-ROM, I was able to find it as a
Twi proverb from Ghana. Later I learned that it is #1752 in Christaller's Twi
Proverbs Collection. It complements the July, 1998 "African Proverb of the
Month:" "Wisdom is like a baobab tree; a single person's hand
cannot embrace it" (Akan and Ewe, Ghana proverb).
Dr. Stan Nussbaum
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
E Mail: stanhome@gmi.org
African
Proverb of the Month
September, 1999
If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family (nation).
Probably a Fanti ( Ghana )
Explanation:
This well-known saying is attributed to the Ghanaian scholar Dr. James Emmanuel
Kwegyir-Aggrey (1875-1927), one of this century's greatest educators.
Kwegyir-Aggrey probably used this proverb to convince African parents who were
more willing to allow their male children to attend missionary schools than
their daughters. Like many sayings, this one makes its point by unqualified
exaggeration to capture our attention. The message here is that once we know
the value of education for men in society, we should allow women to have equal
access to it. Education is used here to mean knowing, through formal or
informal means, what is right for the spirit, mind and body and acting upon
this knowledge.
Women in general are the newborn child's primary caregivers in most societies.
The paid nanny, the indulgent grandmother or an older sister are most likely to
watch over the child during its first three critical years. From the womb
through its early formative years the baby has more direct contact with women.
It is during this time that the words, unspoken messages and expectations of
the caregiving woman affect and determine the child's future destiny most. A physically
abused and psychologically hurt child at this time is likely to project his or
her anger on society in later life. On the other hand, a child that is
surrounded by the warm embrace of loving women caregivers will most likely
spread that love in his or her future dealings with others as the child grows
up. Perhaps the truthfulness of this saying is best exemplified in the life of
George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States, who
said this about his mother: "All I am I owe to my mother...I attribute all
my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received
from her."
A biblical parallel is Exodus" 2:9: "Pharaoh's daughter said
to her, 'Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.'
So the woman took the child and nursed it." This story of Moses shows the
importance of women in raising a child. The mother of Moses protects her child
from hostility, hides him in a basket and asks the infant's sister to watch from
afar. The Princess saves and adopts him. These three women are epitomes of the
various women that ensure the growth of any child in society. When one in the
chain fails her duty, society loses the opportunity to have another Moses,
another deliverer, another reformer. What is not stated but implied in this
second chapter of Exodus is that the mother of Moses knows that it is
right to protect her child. The sister of Moses is well brought up to obey her
mother. You won't find many girls in today's world "sticking out their
necks" for their little brothers. She was unafraid to suggest a nurse to
the princess for her little brother. The Princess knew that it was morally
right to raise this child against the Pharaoh's edict. Because the women saved
this child through their knowledge of what was right and doing it (education),
the people of Israel were saved from the Egyptians and God sent to humankind
one of the greatest tools of education: "The Ten Commandments."
NOTE: The writer welcomes other African proverbs on women. Please post other
examples to our African Proverbs E-mail Discussion List or send to him
directly.
John Kwami Esseboe Nyamidie
Seattle, Washington, USA
E Mail: knyamidie@oxygen.com
African
Proverb of the Month
October, 1999
Getutu kere maiso.
The bush in which you hide has eyes.
Gusii ( Kenya )
Explanation:
A secret is compared to a bush in which a person hides, that is, your hiding
place. On one level the proverb warns you to choose a good place to hide your
secrets in order to make sure that your secrets are safe and will later be used
for the well being of others. However, your bad secrets will be exposed. This
Gusii proverb teaches the bad features of pretense, hypocrisy and hiding the
truth.
A scripture parallel is Luke 12:1b-3: "Beware of the yeast of the
Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be
uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever
you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have
whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops."
This proverb is used mainly in the Kisii Ethnic Group in Kenya during
ceremonies of initiation and during the appointment of people to leadership
positions. The proverb encourages people not to pretend in carrying out their
responsibilities, but rather to serve faithfully and openly. What they do in
pretense or "in the dark" will always haunt them later.
Mr. Evans K. Nyakundi
Hekima College Library
Nairobi, Kenya
African
Proverb of the Month
November, 1999
Ichifulala ukasi chitisi kulemesha inzuusi.
(Fipa)
Anayeoga maji kwa hiari yake hata hisi baridi. (Swahili)
One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn't feel the cold. (English)
Fipa ( Tanzania ) Proverb
Background:
A few riders try to sit backwards on their horse and try to make it go in the direction that it is not going. Some counselors and pastoral caregivers try to do something similar to the people who engage them for help. And the results, as you might imagine, can be rather frustrating (and in the case of the horse, even comically so). Teachers in the marshal arts invite participants to stop wasting so much energy meeting an oncoming force head-on and instead try to capture the other's momentum and turn it to one's own advantage.
Those in training for pastoral care here at the Bugando Medical Centre in Tanzania are invited to welcome and to explore all of the negativity with which others confront them and to clarify the values and choices beneath the fears and resentments. The path leads through the fears and resentments and not around or against them.
Today one of our participants (who is a woman) tried to "comfort" an older male patient in the hospital by telling him, "Don't cry." She came to supervision with a sense of not having been the source of comfort that she would have liked. My task in supervising her training is to help her make friends with tears (hers and her patients) in order to let down and to help another to let down into a more comfortable place from which to live life. I try to find African proverbs that capture the wisdom of allowing the inevitable to take its course and the folly of resisting or avoiding what needs to be accepted and acknowledged in order to move on.
Explanation:
Some Fipa (Tanzania) proverbs from the book "Methali za Kifipa" by Serenus John Rupia come to mind as pertinent and are able to serve a good purpose. One proverb that I use effectively in training programs is "One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn't feel the cold." In this proverb the positive benefit of choosing one's fate or allotment is expressed. There is folly in resisting the cold water strenuously and thereby rendering its bitterness powerful. In pastoral counseling situations choosing tears, just like choosing cold water, will take the edge off the bitterness otherwise enhanced by resisting it. Try it and see.
Bible Parallels:
Biblical parallels are found in Jeremiah (20:7-9) who resists the chill of preaching doom to the Israelites and in Jonah (1:3) who fled to Tarshish to avoid a hard cold stance against the wickedness of the people of Nineveh. Both found the "awe-fullness" and power of their vocations from God futile to avoid. In the New Testament Peter resists the path of suffering and death that Jesus chooses (Matthew 16:21-23) only to find later that this is the way to life and the Good News for all. The Sadducees resisted the Apostles who preached this Good News and tried to detain them in jail (Acts 5:17-39). Gamaliel, a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin, saw the wisdom in letting "these men" be and having history take its course.
Similar Proverbs:
Other similar proverbs express the flip side or the negative effects of resisting one's fate or allotment as in the saying "What one resists, always persists." NOTE: One commentator states that this saying is an awesome example of how the mainstream suppresses emotions versus cultures that don't.
Here are some other proverbs (all but one taken from Rupia's collection) that express:
NOTE: The writer welcomes other African proverbs on resistance. Please post other examples to our African Proverbs E-mail Discussion List or send to him directly.
Rev. John Eybel, M.M.
Clinical Pastoral Education, Bugando Medical Centre
Mwanza, Tanzania
E Mail: jeybel@mbio.net
African
Proverb of the Month
December, 1999
Lilî be de gbÇ, de gbÇe wotua xÇ.
La guêpe dit que plusieurs voyages réguliers à un puits de boue lui permet de
construire sa maison. (French)
The wasp says that several regular trips to a mud pit enables it to build a
house. (English)
Ewe (Benin, Ghana and Togo)
Explanation:
Wasps are generally feared because they sting. But the Ewe people of West Africa find something to learn from "potter wasps" that belong to a special group of wasps. These insects are about one to two inches long with black and red colors and live in cocoon-like nests that they build from mud. They make repeated visits to muddy spots and suck away the mud to build their homes. It's a wonderful sight to observe them build.
The point of this Ewe proverb is that persistence yields results. Each little effort that we make propels us towards the achievement of our goals. Some of us have traveled long distances at points in our lives. Each small distance counted to draw us closer to our final destination.
The Bible is full of examples of building big projects and achieving almost impossible goals through persistent, relentless effort. Through persistence Noah built the Ark. He gathered samples of every kind of birds and animals and saved the earth from the destruction by flood. This preparation took some time. For seven years Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem: "In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it" (1 Kings 6:38 in the English New International Version -- NIV).
This month of December, 1999 is the last month of the year. The last year of the decade. The end of a century. The dawn of a new millennium. Our life from birth to death is comparable to the potter wasp constructing a mud nest. Our life is one whole architectural project -- the building of a spiritual temple in which the Divine may dwell. There's no time more fitting to review how much we've built and what's left to complete our immortal edifice built with the solidified mud of life's experiences.
NOTE: Ewe is spoken by more than three million people in the Volta region of Ghana, south of Atakpame to the coastal region in Togo and in the Mono, Ouida and Cotonu areas of Benin. It is an official literary language in this area. People in Benin have a variant form of the Ewe called Mina or GEN-GBE.
John Kwami Nyamidie
Seattle, Washington, USA
E Mail: KNyamidie@oxygen.com
African
Proverb of the Month
January, 2000
Poo, ga di nne pedi mo sakeng.
Two bulls can't stay in the same kraal. (English)
Tswana (Botswana)
Background:
I live in Botswana where Setswana is spoken. I am, as much as possible, a student of Setswana proverbs. As we say, "Diane di a bua!" which means, "The proverbs they speak!"
Explanation:
Concerning this Tswana proverb: In an agricultural society like we have in most of the rural parts of Botswana, animals are the measure of wealth. Historically people have not trusted banks and choose instead to keep their wealth in the form of cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. Cattle are at the top of the list. There is an intimate relationship between a person and his or her cattle. In fact, it was traditionally the practice here to bury a person in the kraal so the person could be near the cattle.
While there is this strong tie to the cattle, it is common knowledge among the people that you cannot put two bulls into one kraal. They will fight each other unto death, causing the loss of the cattle and the destruction of the kraal. This proverb is used to point out that you can't have it both ways. A decision has to be made. While there may be two options, you must choose between them.
Bible Parallels:
This Tswana proverb has many biblical parallels. One is seen in Jesus' words in Matthew 6 about serving two masters. "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" (Matthew 6:24). You must choose between the two. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot have two bulls in the same kraal. You can have only one. So there can only be one Lord of your life.
Dr. David W. Carlton
Tswana Team
Theological Education
Gaborone, Botswana
E Mail: dcarlton@global.bw
African
Proverb of the Month
February, 2000
Nsungwi ya mtuwa sisiliridwa.
A tender bamboo cannot be eagerly desired (for building).
Chewa (Malawi) Proverb
Nyanja (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia)
Proverb
Background:
The Chewa people in Malawi and the Nyanja people in Zambia say that a man trying to build up a strong marriage while going after other women is like one who uses bamboo shoots for making a hut. The yellow shoots look very well but they weaken the structure, just as other women can weaken and destroy the marriage relationship. A man might excuse his conduct by pleading irresistible attraction, physical need, an absent wife, a stale marriage, a desire for something new. But these excuses, rooted in selfishness and immaturity, lead to suspicion, doubt, distrust, quarrels and separation. Growth and strength in the love relationship between husband and wife come through the faithful, constant living and sharing of joys and sorrows, fears and hopes, hates and joys. So the theme of this Malawian and Zambian proverb is "faithfulness."
Scripture:
"Your faithfulness endures through all the ages" (Psalm 119:90). One of the signs of maturity is the ability to have a sustained relationship that does not collapse under the pressure of faults discovered or disagreements on important matters. The whole sweep of the Scriptures gives a picture of the sustained relationship that God had with his people. They worshipped idols, grumbled, fought. God had no illusions about them and lashed them for their backsliding and falls. But he was always constant, accepting them as they were and asking them to return to him. It was through God's constancy and faithfulness that his people, over the years, grew to spiritual maturity. They began to see how good and growthful was their relationship with him. In their songs of praise the Chosen People thanked him for all that he had done for them and for his faithfulness through the centuries. The story of God's unending pursuit of faithless people is often described in the same terms as an unwavering husband to a fickle wife. Through his fidelity, a relationship grew strong. It is through faithfulness that the marriage relationship grows strong too, a faithfulness that contains acceptance, forgiveness and love. An appropriate prayer might be: "Almighty God, throughout the ages you have been faithful. Help us to model ourselves on you so that amid the changes of this life we too may be forever faithful."
Use:
I used this African proverb in a sermon during the wedding of friends in Kenya. The idea I was dealing with was commitment and faithfulness in the marriage relationship. I found William Lane's material from the "African Proverbs CD-ROM" very helpful and observed that it seemed to really hit home to the congregation -- probably much more so than if I had used only my own words.
NOTE: This proverb is taken from 50 Proverbs: Traditional and Christian
Wisdom by William Lane, S.J. (Lusaka: Privately printed, 1980) and
available on the African Proverbs CD-ROM which is summarized by going to: http://www.afriprov.org/resources/cds.htm
Edited and Revised by Rev. John Shane
Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
E Mail: jshane@csi.com
African
Proverb of the Month
March, 2000
Utamirhe ya mokorho, urhagenda bwirhe.
(Ngoreme)
Kama ukikataa la mkubwa utatembea kutwa nzima. (Swahili)
If you refuse the elder's advice you will walk the whole day. (English)
Ngoreme (Tanzania) Proverb
Explanation:
The Ngoreme people live mainly in the Mara Region in northwestern Tanzania between Lake Victoria and the Serengeti National Park. This proverb describes a typical situation when a person does something wrong. The person is given advice by his or her elders, but neglects this advice. Sometimes the person is not aware of what he or she is doing. The end result is to get into trouble. The person regrets having not taken the elders' advice. The Swahili (Eastern and Central Africa) version of this proverb is very common and rhymes the last word in each phrase: "mkuu" and "guu."
Asiyesikia la mkuu, huvunjika guu. (Swahili)
The person who does not listen to an elder's advice gets his or her leg
broken. (English)
Biblical Parallels
One obvious Biblical parallel is the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" in Luke 15:11-32. The younger son separates himself from his father and family. He squanders his inheritance. After coming to his senses he returns to his father to ask forgiveness. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." (Luke 15:21). Another example is the story of Noah when the people rejected God. "The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). But then God establishes a covenant with Noah and his descendants. Also in the Old Testament is the warning text from Proverbs 29:1: "One who is often reproved, yet remains stubborn, will suddenly be broken beyond healing."
Use
This Ngoreme proverb teaches our society to adhere to the advice given by the elders. It is assumed that the elders in our African society have seen a lot of events in the past and present so that they can judge more correctly. This experience of the elders is used to advise youth on a variety of issues. Whoever rejects the elders' teaching will normally get into trouble. For example, parents and teachers advise students to study hard and not to engage in premarital sex. Yet we see schoolgirls conceiving at an early age and having unwanted pregnancies before completing school. Young people become victims of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Today's world witnesses a dramatic increase in the use of addictive drugs such as heroine, mandrax, etc. These drugs confuse young people so that they lose their ability to think and fail their exams. Thus one major reason for the misfortunes of young people is that they reject the good advice given by parents, teachers and our society at large.
Peter Makuru Samwel
P.O. Box 70335
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
African
Proverb of the Month
April, 2000
Imbilaph' ivun' isilonda. (Zulu)
The groin pains in sympathy with the sore. (English)
Zulu (South Africa, Swaziland) Proverb
Explanation and Everyday Use
This Zulu proverb is said because the groin will be painful when one has a sore leg. This is regarded as an act of sympathy that brands the two as friends. The proverb is used when:
C. L. Sibusiso Nyembezi lists this proverb under the heading "Friendship" together with proverbs like the following: It is tobacco and aloe. It is saliva and the tongue. Good waxbills go in pairs/die in pairs. Other Zulu speakers say the proverb reminds them of the following Zulu proverbs: A person's wound is not to be laughed at. There is no tribe that would discard itself. Hands wipe each other clean. A bird builds on another's feathers. This thing called a person is not that which removes the thorns in its own flesh.
Biblical Parallels
The idea of sympathy, especially in connection with friendship, is echoed by the following two biblical proverbs:
The initial intention of Job's friends is to console and comfort him that is in line with the typical use of this Zulu proverb. See 1. above. In Job 2:11 we read: "Now when Job's three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home... They met together to go and console and comfort him." However, they get caught up in an argument about the causes of Job's suffering which reminds us of the alternative use of this proverb. See 2. above. They accuse him of having gone wrong; therefore his suffering is a form of punishment. But Job replies: "Those who withhold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the Almighty. My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed, like freshets that pass away" (Job 6:14-15).
Psalm 35:13-14 illustrates how a person really sympathizes with others:
But as for me, when they were
sick,
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
bowed down and in mourning.
The "Parable of the Good Samaritan" (Luke 10:25-37) is a fine example of this kind of sympathy. Verses 36-37 are noteworthy: "Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
It is reassuring to know that God also sympathizes with our suffering. Hebrews 4:15 reads: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin."
Religious Use
Professor Willie van Heerden
University of South Africa (UNISA)
Pretoria, South Africa
E Mail: juwil@yebo.co.za
African
Proverb of the Month
May, 2000
Takipar bich che
meloljinge ma. (Tugen)
How easy it is to defeat people who do not kindle fire for themselves.
(English)
Tugen (Kenya)
Explanation and Everyday Use
The Tugen Ethnic Group is located mainly in west central Kenya. In traditional
Tugen society the elders would sit around the fire to discuss issues and to
solve conflicts in order to bring peace and unity to their community. If this
fire is not kindled, if there is no peace and unity, then the community is
easily defeated in moments of crisis. "Kindling the fire" means
people coming together and discussing issues. People who have no unity do not
love or value one another. They do not "kindle the fire." Such people
can easily be overcome in times of crisis.
Biblical Parallels
The Bible emphasizes the importance of unity, joint consultation and
cooperation. "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude
of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). A biblical
parallel to this "unity is strength" theme is: "Two are better
than one...A threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes
4:9,12).
Religious Use
This Tugen Proverb (and other African proverbs like it) can be used in many
pastoral and social situations to help resolve disputes and conflicts between
individuals and in families and communities. There is the universal saying that
the only real problems are the ones we don't want to talk about.
It is estimated that of the 54 countries in Africa almost 20 countries are in a
situation of civil war, internal unrest or ethnic conflict. We desperately need
signs and symbols of unity, peacemaking and reconciliation. African Proverbs on
peace can be effectively used in conflict resolution, mediation of disputes and
other kinds of peace talks.
NOTE: This Tugen proverb is published in the
book African Proverbs on Peace and War collected and compiled by Annetta
Miller. Mennonite Central Committee, Nairobi, Kenya: Privately Duplicated,
1998. 41 pages. A collection of 1,031 African proverbs in English (with the
original African language or country cited) on the general theme of peace and
its immediate corollary, conflict. These proverbs are in the service of all
people -- instructing, guiding and generally reflecting the wisdom of the
continent. There are proverbs on 13 themes: peace, war, fighting and friction,
quarrel, abuse, enemy, revenge, anger, caution, reconciliation, diplomacy,
justice and cooperation.
Mrs.
Annetta Miller
Nairobi, Kenya
Email:
hmiller@wananchi.com
African
Proverb of the Month
June, 2000
Fulu bende oro
ngege. - Luo
Hata furu (uduvi) humtuma sato. - Swahili
Even haplochromis (name of a small fish) employs tilapia (name of a large
fish). - English
Luo (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda )
Explanation and Everyday Use
Proverbs are so important in the Luo Ethnic Group in East Africa that they can
easily be thought of, independently, as an institution. They have the clout of
wisdom and are used in various connotations to express deep feelings. For
example, in the past courting for marriage has been and still is, in some parts
of the community, habitually "proverbial." This Luo proverb uses two
kinds of fish: "haplochromis" and "tilapia." Haplochromis
is a small fish that belongs to the family of cichelidae and is 6cm to10cm long
while tilapia is much bigger and weighs two kilograms. Both are edible and
their main distribution area is Lake Victoria, a fresh water lake in East
Africa.
Younger people basically use the proverb when they are requesting their elders
to oblige them. For example, a younger person doing an important computer
"upgrade" may politely request his elder: "Dear Levi, can I send
you to Lazarus as I am too busy to leave my present work in this place; please,
for even haplochromis employs tilapia." Though the conventional use of the
proverb targets the younger and the older, it is also applied to other groups
such as the junior and the senior, the powerless and the powerful, the feeble
and the mighty, those with the influence and those without, in some cases women
and men, and so on.
The proverb is essentially about the senior indiscriminately doing what the
junior asks of him or her. It is about legitimate equality and submission in
employing or sending each other. In other words, it is about responsiveness to
humble calls or requests and has many specific examples. It calls upon church
leaders, the shepherds, to especially be humble, listen to their flocks' views
and concerns and reasonably attend to their wishes and problems -- for the
possible achievement of a more flock-oriented church, the type of which Leith
Anderson advocates in his book A Church for the 21st Century
(Bethany House Publishers). For other individuals the proverb dispels the
feeling of an inferiority complex or degradation in them. It tells them that
they should not consider themselves inferior or degraded when they are being
employed or sent by their juniors. The message is also hammered into the world's
insensitive rulers' ears that leaders should heed and be responsive to their
citizens' agitation for popular rights and decency such as multiparty
democracy, non-violation of human rights, eradication of corruption and
improved standards of living without fear of their status or esteem being
lowered.
Similarly, the developed or industrialized countries like the Group of Seven
(G7) and the major international financial institutions such as the IMF and
World Bank need to listen to the voices of those who are perceived as voiceless
or the small -- the poor. It is in this perspective that globalization is also
viewed. It is by listening to and heeding the calls of the helpless and the
poor that a globalization forum may not attract radical demonstrations that in
turn attract unacceptable paramilitaristic dispersal. It is by listening and
responding to the voices or concerns of the "small" that
multinational pharmaceutical companies manufacture AZT and related drugs
cheaply so that such drugs can be affordable to the poor and presently somewhat
save or prolong thousands of lives. It is by listening and positively
responding to the requests of its "haplochromis" that the world can
achieve acceptable levels of justice and equity and effectively overcome some
of its sensitive problems of the international debt crisis, hunger, disease and
conflicts with their attendant situations. Insensitivity to the calls of the
disadvantaged can lead to extreme hopelessness, stagnation and regression with
misery and death as ultimate products.
On the other hand, the proverb gives hope or encouragement to the
"junior." It reassures him or her of the non-existence of fundamental
differences between him or her and the "senior" as both of them
belong to one and the same set of God's special creation. It also liberates the
person from diffidence and again reassures him or her of equal respect and
advancement opportunity. Human beings are equal before God and need each
other's equal treatment. This also means the acceptance of unlimited readiness
for each other's call or concern. But acceptance of this position –
particularly of the senior being sent by the junior -- is an area in which
demonstration of our uneasiness manifests itself. Although this proverb is an
African "saying" in many African societies (see the similar Sukuma,
Tanzania proverb Even an elephant, that is, an important person can be sent),
men consider it a near taboo to be sent by a woman. They simply ignore the
essence of their own proverb. Even after the Beijing declaration to upgrade the
status of women, initiatives towards the reversal of this conservative
discriminating and despising attitude seem to be comparatively unimpressive.
This is so because "listening and positive response" is a matter of
love being the principal determinant - that is intrinsically lacking in the
above cases.
Biblical Parallels
1. "In that renewal there is no
longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave
and free; but Christ is all and in all!" (Colossians 3:11).
"Rather, these distinctive conditions of life and existence are placed at
the service of God, of the church, and of humankind… in the church the
differentiation in classes, natural and spiritual gifts and nations is placed
at the service of the whole" (from the article "Theology of
Humankind" in Exploring Church Growth edited by Wilbert R. Shenk
and published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company).
2. Romans 15:1-7. John Howard
Yoder quotes this scriptural text in commenting on the Way of Jesus as
"serving others as he served himself." Those of us who have a robust
conscience must accept as our own burden the tender scruples of weaker persons
and not consider ourselves. Each of us must consider his or her neighbor… for
Christ too did not consider himself… in a word accept one another as Christ
accepted us.
Religious Use
The proverb tells or reminds us that if we have not been living in conformity
with its moral we should work for the transformation of ourselves. We should
move into a new, uniform position whose principal architect is love.
Christopher Mallia entitles his booklet on the sacrament of Baptism The New
Life of Love (published by Paulines Publications Africa). In the realm of
the proverb's implication this title is immediately appealing or suggestive. We
need to enter a new life of love in which we would now be practically
accommodative of being sent by our juniors or those who are under us. The title
acts as a referral opportunity or as flashcard for us all as it implies or
presupposes initiation of efforts towards acquisition, restoration and
preservation of overriding - or to use Yoder's description - indiscriminate
love - that leads to unified submission as in this tilapia and haplochromis
proverbial case.
Haplochromis and tilapia permanently live in and enjoy fresh water. We also
permanently need fresh (or new) life that is God's free gift to us. And,
Shenk's book is punctuated with the word "mission." Our proverbial
mission should be preaching by deed an overriding love and its virtues of
submission and responsiveness that are required of us.
Pastor Samuel Adongo
Kisumu, Kenya
E-mail: sadongo@kisumu.africaonline.com
or soadongo@yahoo.com
African
Proverb of the Month
July, 2000
Utizunduka
chimba limi litinagwa. (Sukuma)
Usimtukane kiongozi wa uwindaji jua halijatua. (Swahili)
Do not insult the hunting guide before the sun has set. (English)
Sukuma (Tanzania )
Explanation and Everyday Use
According to the Sukuma people in Tanzania when a person hears that there is
wild game (wild animals) in a particular area and wishes to hunt there, the
person will often hire a guide from the local people. If one is good, the guide
will know exactly where the game is likely to stay. But sometimes the animals
are not in their local haunts. Then the guide and the hunter will need to spend
many, many hours walking though the bush in the hot sun. After a while both
people will become frustrated and it is possible that the hunter will blame the
guide for not spotting the wild game. The hunter might feel that he or she has
wasted the whole day and wishes to insult the guide. This is when the Sukuma
proverb applies. Very often at twilight just when it is getting dark, antelope
and other animals will come out into the open to graze. If so, the hunter
shoots the wild game and all go home happy. The proverb emphasizes the
importance of being patient and holding back one's anger until the very end.
One should hope in and trust any kind of guide, mentor or advisor until the day
is completely over.
Biblical Parallels
The example of an older person in the Bible who still contributes a great deal
is Simeon in Chapter Two of Luke's Gospel. He was a very old man at the end of
his life. But he composes a prayer:
"Master,
now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my
eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all
peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people
Israel." (Luke 2:29-32)
This prayer has been popular with religious people for two thousand years
throughout the world. The Holy Spirit, the hunting guide, gave Simeon desire
before his sunset.
Another scriptural parallel to this Sukuma proverb is the "Story of the
Good Thief on the Cross." "Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.' Jesus replied, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be
with me in Paradise'" (Luke 23:42-43). Thus Jesus saves him at the
last minute.
Religious Use
Christians would like to accomplish many good works for the sake of the Lord.
As one grows older one has less vision, drive and ability to do things. That
person can become discouraged and feel frustrated that he or she is just
wasting his or her life. But it is good to remember that the Holy Spirit is the
hunting guide. The Christian follows this Spirit for a lifetime. Even though
one is in the twilight years a person can accomplish a great deal. Older people
still have a lot to contribute.
NOTE: For further information on Sukuma
proverbs, sayings and stories see: Joseph Healey and Donald Sybertz. Towards
An African Narrative Theology (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 3rd
Reprint, 2000 and Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2nd Edition, 1999).
Rev. George C. Cotter, M.M.
Galilee Oromo Research Center
P.O. Box 147
Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
Rev. Donald Sybertz, M.M.
Shinyanga, Tanzania
E-mail: chancshy@africaonline.co.tz
African
Proverb of the Month
August, 2000
Pein dan kan jo ya, di voorika an tua
If an arrow has not entered deeply, then its removal is not hard.
Buli (Ghana )
Explanation and Everyday Use
The Builsa people mainly live in the Upper East region of Ghana, West Africa and speak the Buli language. Since they are largely subsistence farmers, their very being depends on their knowledge of different soil types and the use of good seed. The "Parable of the Sower and the Seed" that Jesus gave us in Luke 8:4-15 is a wonderful story that captures the attention of the Builsa people since the context is very similar to the Builsa culture. The above Buli proverb on the arrow helps provide a rich understanding of the rocky soil that Jesus described. This soil represents "...the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away" (verse 13). Traditionally the Builsa used arrows with metal tips to hunt game as well as to defend themselves from enemies, slave-raiders, etc. The arrow has a barbed shaft much like a fishhook. If the arrow enters deeply then the barbed tip makes it difficult to remove. The enemy or game is more likely to be crippled and easily brought down. On the other hand, an arrow that does not enter deeply can be easily removed resulting in an ineffective shot. The enemy or game may easily slip away and e