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COMMISSION ON MISSION |
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Province of Saint Ezekiel Moreno Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) |
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“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.” (Mk. 16:15) |
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Why do I love Africa?
AFRICAN CULTURAL VALUES By: Fr. Don H. Besana, OAR
What is the picture of Africa today? “Africa does not get much space in the media, but when it does, it usually reflects the same old clichés: ethnic violence, hunger, underdevelopment, corrupt dictatorships, etc.”1 Most of the time, we get an overly generalized information which, with a few sentences or pictures, pretends to give an exhaustive coverage of a huge continent of 53 countries with around 800 million people. Such reporting has contributed to creating a completely negative and distorted vision of Africa and its peoples.2
The truth is that, Africa is waking up. Despite the problems and conflicts, most African countries today are now undergoing a process of transformation which has led observers to predict the birth of new Africa.3 The transformation is evident in these three (3) important areas: 1) Africa is developing a democratic conscience, 2) African economies are growing, and 3) Africa is the continent where Christianity is growing very fast.4 Africa is endowed with a wealth of cultural values and priceless human qualities which it can offer ... to humanity as a whole.5 A famous slogan which says: “Black is beauty!” is true. Africa is beautiful! Africans are beautiful! A poet puts it: “In blackness there is some virtue, if you observe its beauty well.”6 To discover such a beauty, however, one has to live with the African people, speak their language and be immersed in their culture. Why do I love Africa?7 I love Africa because of the following reasons: 1. I love Africa because of her RELIGIOSITY. Africans are a notoriously religious people.8 The religiosity of Africans vis-a-vis their culture is interwoven. 9 An adage says: There is no atheist in Africa!” The heart of African culture is their religion. African religiosity can be manifested in their great reverence for the Divinity whether they are Christians, Muslims or animists. 2. I love Africa because of her WONDERFUL PEOPLE. The African children even without clothes still wear their beautiful and genuine smiles... the youth are very respectful... the parents are hard-working... the elders have always their stories to tell... Africans are a community-oriented people with a strong sense of solidarity and loyalty to their family. An African village is a community where shows love and concern for all the members. They rejoice in life and respect human life until its natural end.10 That’s why the newly-born babies are joyfully welcomed by the community ... when somebody gets sick, everyone in the village consoles the sick person... and when somebody dies everybody mourns. 3. I love Africa because of her HOSPITALITY. Every time we visit the villages for pastoral work, the people warmly welcome us. We sleep in the best bed and we eat the best food. The Africans would not hesitate to butcher their only chicken to prepare a meal for the visitor. Despite their poverty, Africans are generous people. After our village visitation, we usually return home to the mission house laden with many gifts of peanuts, pineapples, and other fruits. We usually get a live fowl, which is a symbol of life and best wishes for the welfare of the missionaries. 4. I love Africa because of her SIMPLICITY. Africans live a simple life and enjoy simple pleasures. They are very easy to please—a little music can make them dance and a little candy came make little children smile. They love simple entertainments and sports especially football. Africans do not need shoes in order to play football. 5. I love Africa because of her NATURE. Africa is a very rich continent, blessed with abundant natural and mineral resources. The African bush is so vast, the hills are beautiful, the waterfalls are so cool, the streams and rivers are crystal clear. The Africans can wash their clothes in the river, dry them under the sun, then swim and frolic in the refreshing waters. When they’ve finished bathing, their newly washed clothes are dry, fresh and ready to be worn again. 6. I love Africa because of her FOOD. African food is natural, man-made, and very healthy. Africans cannot afford to buy insecticides and fertilizers. Humble it may be, but African food is delicious and spicy. Occasionally, our hunter food provides us with delicious deer meat. African houses have verandas, where they share their food and drink. Africans do not need an occasion to share their food and drink. Meal time is a beautiful moment of communion—eating in one big bowl and drinking from one big cup—a resemblance of Eucharistic communion. 7. I love Africa because of her great trust in DIVINE PROVIDENCE. Their poverty enables the Africans to trust God’s mercy and providence for all their needs. Africans call God “Papa!” It’s interesting to know how God cares for the poor Africans by making their mud-houses and grass-beds warm in winter and cool in summer. Africans are a resilient and strong people. One time we ask them: “What is the secret of your strength?” They answered us: The secret of our strength is the sun, Father!” Africans do not need umbrellas to cover them from the sun and to protect them from the rain. They never get sick of exposure to the sun or the rain. Incredible! That’s God’s providence. The late John Paul II aware of these great African values urged the Africans: “Look inside yourselves ... Look to the riches of your own traditions ... here you will fine genuine freedom—here you will find Christ who will lead you to the truth.”11
Endnotes: 1World Mission, Special Issue, 1998, p.3. 2Ibid. 3Ibid. 4Ibid., cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 44. 5Ecclesia in Africa, 42. 6Microsoft Encarta, 2004. 7Cf. BBC Radio Program in Africa. 8John S. Mbiti. African Religions and Philosophy. Heinemann, 1979, p.1; cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 42. 9Joseph Amaegwu. Missionary Anthropology in Africa, Religious Life Asia, April-June 2006, p.84.
10Ecclesia in Africa, 43.
11Ecclesia in Africa, 48.
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