By Dr Charles Leyman Kachitsa
Recently to the joy of many, there has been a spike in explorers of Africa who have re-discovered places and areas that were otherwise hidden and undiscovered by those who claimed had been on journeys of the continent to explore its nature. In some instances the re-discovery has been of places that those who had come before had already put their names to as the first ones to sight them with civilized lens, but the good thing about the modern explorers is they are giving new narratives all together, bringing new lease of life to these areas.
This re-discovery of Africa has been pushed by a suspect movement led by advanced technology which has made what we now call social media more common and a new easily accessible medium for transporting of information. Before the 19th century, the explorers were predominantly western Europeans such as Vasco Da Gama and the Scottish Dr David Livingstone, to name the most popular I studied in our African history primary school subject.
The modern day exploration or re-discovery of Africa is led not by older men, but young tech enthusiasts so called vloggers or Youtubers such as IShowSpeed (real name, Darren Watkins Jr.), Wode Maya (real name Berthold Kobby Winkler Ackon) and Kurt Caz just to mention a few prominent ones. Unlike the older explorers who chose key landmarks for recognition as their discoveries and some were also known for ostracizing local cultural practices, items and the people; the modern young explorers showcase everything in their path with due respect. Some of them bring these exploration live in real time to their audiences across the globe without any censoring.
What is important in celebrating these modern explorers is that first and foremost they are young and have African roots. They are sons of the continent rediscovering themselves and their land as well as helping others to experience the same. Significantly they are youthful Africans bringing light, showing the beauty and bountifulness of the young Africa continent. This, it can not be reversed, this is the time for Africa! And Africa will shine.
The quotes this week are a continuation extraction from a book that explores the old narrative missionary language and resultant culture that shaped faith as we know it today in the subcontinents and asks pertinent questions on whether if there was misdirection it was deliberate. I am sure that the few selected quotations listed below from this book will enlighten you to one or two life lessons. Read and enjoy:
DECOLONIZING MISSION by Harvey C. Kwiyani
“The book seeks to make sense of the coloniality of mission. It is a book about the colonial legacy of mission. For me, this is the first step on a long journey of imagination seeking to explore a missiology that will be fit for the purpose in the twenty-first century. I was born in Malawi, in South-east Africa. Our popular history of Malawi – as I learned it in school – starts with David Livingstone’s chance visit to what we now call the Shire Highlands and Lake Malawi in 1859. As a matter of fact, those well informed on Malawi’s history tend to divide it into two areas: ‘Before Livingstone’ and ‘After Livingstone’. Of course, oral historical traditions suggest that there were people around this body of water that local people called Nyanja ya Nyenyezi (meaning ‘Lake of Stars’, for the numerous stars that reflect on the surface of its clear waters at night) for centuries. The land of Malawi has been inhabited continuously since the first century of the Common era. ………”
“The early church had to negotiate empire, resist empire, flee from empire, suffer under empire, offer apologies for itself to empire ….. until the church became one with empire. ——– Robbers of the world, having by their universal plunder exhausted the land, they rifle the deep. If the enemy be rich, they are rapacious, if he be poor, they lust for dominion; neither the east nor the west has been able to satisfy them. Alone among men they cover with equal eagerness poverty and riches. To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a solitude and call it peace.”
“Jesus’ ministry started a few months after John’s, and therefore these same names may be used to date his ministry. For Luke and for many people at the time, Rome was the ultimate reference point for everything important happening in Judea and Galilee. In addition, the circles of the powerful people in Jerusalem were dominated by Roman names. Those who were not Roman were most likely appointees of Roman power. The four main players in this piece of history (Tiberius, Pilate, Quirinius and Valerius Gratus) are all Romans. Everyone else, both the two Herods (Antipas and Philip) and the two high priests (Ananius and Caiaphas), were placed in their positions by Rome.”
“In a great deal of mission and evangelism conversations in the past century, to be ‘fishers of people’ has been understood to imply being involved in proclaiming the gospel to save souls. It is very likely that Jesus had something more in mind. His ministry, according to Luke 4, would involve more than just the saving of souls. It would have to do with bringing the good news to the poor, setting the captives free, recovering sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free and, finally, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour. This is a lot more than fishing for people and saving souls. On their own, all these aspects of Jesus’ ministry have the effect of overturning the oppression that the Galileans were suffering under the heavy hand of the Romans. Much like today, for the empire to be, there must have been millions of non-elite Romans who were exploited for the welfare of the rich few at the top of society.”
“The Roma Empire so permeates the New Testament that it is plausible that the writers of the Gospels took it for granted and presumed that their readers did not need them to mention it all the time. Rome was felt in the daily lives of many. The sight of a tax collector, a Roman soldier or even a milestone, as well as the mention of a governor, a perfect or indeed a vassal king like Herod, kept Rome in sight. Yes, Jesus lived in Galilee and died in Judea, but both Galilee and Judea were part of a large Roman province that stretched from Syria to Egypt, ruled by Roman governors or non-Roman puppet kings. Egypt, where he spent some time as a child was also a Roman colonyat that time.”
