So, did you think I was eaten by a lion? Silly! I'm in the city, that wouldn't happen. But it has been hard to come by an internet connection, so I apologize for that. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to
visit the Freedom Park museum in Pretoria. Beyond being one of the
most aesthetically pleasing structures I have ever seen, the content
held within its walls rich in knowledge and culture. I have been
struggling with what to post here, simply because the museum covered
everything—from the creation story, clear up until this very day.
I still haven't figured out how they managed that, but I am
thoroughly impressed.
It started off with a beautiful video
of the creation story as relayed through Indigenous Knowledge
Systems, with the belief that all human beings are bonded and
originate from one divine source. Their belief is that humans are
called to look after one another, to extend love. There is a system
of interdependence requiring us to extend our own humanity, causing
others to do the same. The emphasis lays on compassion, tolerance,
kindness, and mercy, all leading to a greater sense of consciousness.
The idea is that we are all related by blood to everyone, and we
thrive only under conditions of cooperation and mutual assistance.
From there, we began exploring the
beginnings of slavery. Bea and Paul questioned how slavery ever
began in the first place, and how it could gain such a popular
consensus, but the truth is, it started off small. At its
beginnings, slavery was not
so
bad, at least not nearly in the way we see it in our history books.
I think that's the trick; it didn't happen all at once. Rather, it
was a series of actions and thoughts that may not have seemed so bad,
and then it slowly escalated as people found justifications for their
behavior. And yet, every action implies a consequence. The same can
be true in our own lives—each action is shaping our behavior, who
we are, and even impacting the world around us. This is why we must
be so intentional in how we act, because the reverberations are so
great. It is our choice whether we are molding something positive or
something negative.
More powerful than the actions
themselves is the idea of colonizing minds—there is nothing
stronger than the influence of thought. This is how a majority is
able to oppress a minority—they use knowledge. They use literacy.
They break spirits, and invent structures that will allow them to
maintain control.
These structures and boundaries we
create are manmade, though. The divisions we have with our fellow
man are constructed, and thus can also be deconstructed. As Cape
Town became colonized and fences were raised, so were questions.
“You put up these fences, but...who does the wind belong to?”
It is interesting to delve into the
past here. Many people started off wanting to fight Apartheid with
nonviolence, but found they could not get such tactics to work. The
threats of violence seemed to come from a place of such immense
desperation, I can't possibly say I understand their position. But
it is also interesting to examine the role of foreign relations in
whether or not Apartheid was able to take place. To see the protest
signs pouring in from around the world, saying they would not
tolerate such a system, seemed to have an immense impact. And yet we
here keep finding ourselves wondering, why did they not act sooner?
Some things we may not be able to comprehend.
There has been so much violence, and
yet buried in the rubble, hope is found. Hope for a new Africa, and
hope for a new world. The South African constitution is one of the
most progressive in the world, calling for equality of all. Meaning,
each human has the opportunity to discover their intrinsic value.
These people who have been objectified now have a chance to define
themselves, in a way that sees them as whole. We spend so much time
figuring out how we can fix other people. In America, we frequently
see Africa like a child we should be doing everything for. Maybe
it's time we recognize we can learn something from them, too. On
this journey, I will be striving for a system of co-learning; one
that allows us to share with all.
More on the next post. Thanks for
listening.
Love and Adoration,
Lorien
