Village boy Impressions

Blest the bygone days of sweet remembrance, When childhood was innocence indeed. Moonlit nights were songs and dances And New Year treats were ‘alewa’. Colourful tongues told the story. Read:  Village Boy Impressions - Folktales The days when pito was the drink, And we only ate to quell hunger, A large protruding belly was our goal And the oily mouth, an envious sight. Only fun, food and friends mattered. Our teachers still taught us manners and prayers  And learning was its own reward  A holy curiosity to discover the secrets Of our environment drove us on To outshine the other in class was the prize. Read:  Village Boy Impressions - The Days of Bliss In homes were heard loud rolling laughters, Guests were welcomed with genuine smiles, In happiness, we celebrated all successes Burrying in sorrow and tears, our friends And aiding freely and willingly, those in need. But what do we have here now? An unchained ‘modernity’ of madness

1.      A person who abuses others is hardly ever asked to stop. We don't want to stand up to the person doing wrong. Rather, we ask the victim(s) to tolerate the abuse. And if the victim refuses to accept our advice, we conclude that he/she is a bad person - not the abusive person. People who abuse others are like 'small gods' to be complained about but not stood up to. They are treated like victims to be understood and pitied and their victims are to be advised and praised for tolerating abuse. 2.       Praying in tongues is a shouting competition. A test of endurance. At the first Pentecost, we are told that the tongues (languages) of the apostles were understood by a multitude of devout men from 'every nation under heaven' (Acts 2: 1 - 8). In our time, no human being can understand the tongues we speak; an endless stream of discordant sounds emitted by people in seeming agony and disarray.  3.      We swat a fly with a sledgehammer but always attemp

“God chooses things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise and chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong” - 1Cor1:27 (my translation).   I visited a library for the first time in my life when I was 13 and in J. H. S 1. Then, my small stature coupled with the fact that I was new and not very confident restricted me to the children's section all through my adolescent years and even beyond. Nevertheless, I was really enjoying the stories in that section. My favourite story was;  "The Emperor's New Clothes ” by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. I do not know exactly why it was my favourite then. Perhaps because it was so hilarious (the thought of a king walking down the street naked). Today, I remember it and love it not because it is so hilarious (for it is no longer so to me) but because it speaks volumes about society. I have come to learn a lesson from it that I can’t forget. The Pl