Because of the chores and duties, i have not been able to keep up with writing on the principles of Kwanzaa . Yet i really feel the need to express them, so even though we are technically on day 3, i am just gonna write from the heart of what i have become aware of in celebrating this time.
Umoja the first principle (Nguzo saba) of kwanza stands for Unity. The bible says something about a cord of three strands is not easily broken and two together can keep warmer more than one alone.
Consider the percieved duality of everything. My baba, Ras Anebena allways referrs to everything having a indivisible duality. Last night as i was watching a HISTORY channel thing on the "DEVIL" it struck me again this indivisible duality. Consider that anything described as "good" is measured in contrast with evil. Now i am not advocating sort of hurtfulness on, and this may seem like a deviation from UNITY. UNITY, is what binds us, and why are we bound ? TO live. Everything has its purpose(the 5th principle of kwanzaa-NIA). we often consider death as a evil thing, however, consider the living things that die in order for us to live? Even when we die, it make physical space for another entity to come on earth. The spirit never ceases, but rather is more vibrant in a new physical body. UNITY is the spirit that makes us one... doesn't distinguish us form all living things... All living things need AIR, first and formost...water..... and then soil.
Unity, is knowing that we are all interconnected, even when we do not intend on being unified. Even when i chose not to. Becuz everything that i do is like a drop of water... it makes some sort of ripple and then as a drop, i am indistinguishable from the "water". That is why i like the term "UNIVERSITY" over the racist word of "DIE-versity".
Consider what each of us accomplishes when we are togehter. one can expereince this in every phase in our daily and moment by moment trod. This is not to say that we live FOR others, it means that we live RIGHT in our own lives and it results in rightness (right action according to the Buddha).
united in self, manifests in unity in the body, in teh family , in the community and in the world... as a child, parent spouse son daughter mother father great ancestor... it goes on and on.
I am not a scientific person in my language, but i have come to KNOW that we are macrocosms of the smallest entity that man has defined... and become aware of.. the atom and its neutrona and protoms and electrons. ANd the cosmos is the largest entity that man has defined and is aware of. THis i do know that there is no limit to this power big or small. INFINITE. That is why in the IBLE(instruction before leaving earth) even says that the exlated will be made samll and the small will be exalted. This does away with our self importance as well as our lack of confidence.
My favorite UMOJA Ancestor is Marcus Garvey. He one of the most instumental bodies in uniting the people of the Diaspora in the last 400 years. Of course Haile I Selassie I was oneof the for runners of the Pan African Movement in a very quiet way. MLK, Nelson Mandela unifed thousand of africans even those outside of South Africa. He did this while behind bars without outside contact...for 27 YEARS ! Ghandi united people across all nationalistic and religious lines. As well as Gold Maier.
But enough about heros... each and everyone of us is annointed (christ) to be ONE with all living, through our constant action of JUSTICE. JUSTICE is essential for PEACE. TO call for peace when there is so much injustice in the world leadership is just a mashing down of our spirit, it is a quieting of our soul, a censorship of our breathe.
So here are a few thoughts on UNITY- UMOJA
AIM for perfection, listen to ini appeal, be of one mind, live in peace and the power of love and peace is the INI. (2 COL 13.11)
Let us go to the jordon river where each on of us can get a pole and let us build a place there for us to live.- (2 KINGS 6.2)
Counteneance of one brightens up another.. like iron sharpening iron- Nasio
"You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know which the white man may one day discover; our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His co
What is god ? The totality of souls. Whatever there exists in the whole, can also be found in the part. So in any one soul, all souls are contained. If i in turn, in A Shuvah (true blessing) contain in ini the friend in whom i wish to help, and he contains i in him. The shavah, makes the him-in-me better and the me-in-him better. This way it becomes so much easier for him-in-him to become better.-Rabbi Pinhaus sharira Koretz
mpassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste. But in your perishing you will shine brightly fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man. That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires. Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival" Chief Seattle
The ends that you serve that are selfish will take you no further than yourself; but the ends you serve that are for the all, in common, will take you even into eternity. - Marcus Garvey.
The inter-african solidarity must be solidarity of FACT, solidarity of ACTION, solidarity concrete in men, in equipment, in money. Africa shall be free. Yes it must get work, it must NOT lose sight of its own UNITY-Franz Fanon.
The last quote is not geared only towards any sort of percieved "RACE, nation or ISM", It is a stated FACT that is true for everyLIVING one that honors and raspects LIFE...By the mitocondria of our DNA we are africans first and foremost regardless of our color, wheter we are a plant or animal. The gender and nationality and religiousity that we have allowed ourselves to be defined by are NO-THING but DIE-visions from our unified spirit. Let our breath be one.
Harambee......
Rasta Far I
Haile I Selassie I
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