Imani: The key to a Happy New Year



Public Domain

The last day of Kwanzaa, otherwise known as Imani, coincides with New Year’s Day.  After the holidays subside, and before the new year unfolds, Imani provides a much-needed space for profound reflection.

According to the Official Kwanzaa Website, Imani is both a Day of Assessment and a Day of Meditation. The Akan people of West Africa have historically set aside a day like this as part of their first-fruits harvest celebrations.  An atmosphere of quiet and calm humility assists Imani participants to engage in “reassessment

and recommitment on a personal and family level.”  This often includes the remembrance and honoring of ancestors.

Three questions are highlighted as part of this process:  Who am I?  Am I really who I say I am?  Am I all I ought to be?  The following Odu Ifa meditation can greatly assist with this inquiry:  Let us not engage the

world hurriedly.  Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently.  That which should be treated with mature judgment, Let us not deal with in a state of anger.  When we arrive at a cool place, Let us rest fully; Let us give continuous attention to the future; and let us give deep consideration to the consequences of things.  And this because of our (eventual) passing.

This is the wisdom of the ages.  Akin to Buddhist mindfulness, it stresses the importance of living life in slower motion and really paying attention.  That which keeps us from being all who we really are then becomes more evident.  Awareness then has a chance of taking precedence over distraction.

Imani.

Faith.

What better way to welcome the new year?

Resources

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/meditation.shtmll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa 

 

Pan-African philosophers



Egyptian Goddess Maat

In order to coherently discuss Pan-African philosophers, working definitions of “Pan-African” and “philosophy” can be quite helpful.

The Pan-African movement began as far back as the late 18^th century – when displaced Africans began uniting against slavery, white supremacy and colonialism.  These earliest efforts included the writing of petitions, letters and pamphlets – the allegiance to universalist ideologies such as those of Freemasonry – and an overall solidarity with Africans throughout Africa and the Caribbean.

Although “Philosophy” might seem too nebulous to define,  Merriam-Webster includes this phrase in its four-part definition:  the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.  This frees up the term from the ivory-tower image that many ascribe to it.  Philosophy is not just relegated to universities and arcane societies.  It is a living, breathing part of everyday life, and is reflected in traditions the world over.

There is no one Pan-African philosophy.  African philosophers reflect (and co-create) the rich diversity of Africa itself.  For example, Augustine of Hippo in today’s language would be Augustine of Algeria.  He was bishop from 396 to 430 CE in this formerly Roman-ruled, North-African center of Christianity.  Three great Islamic philosophers – Ibn Bajjah, Averroes, and Ibn Sabin – lived in Morocco and heartily debated the merits of Plato and Aristotle.  Dr. Maulana Kaurenga wrote an 803-page thesis on Maat, an ancient Egyptian philosophy.

Kaurenga also founded the holiday Kwanzaa in order to nurture and share the very best of Pan-African philosophy and tradition.  His 2010 Welcome on the  Official Kwanzaa Website states:  …Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense.

Resources

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaida#Kawaida

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy

http://www.answers.com/topic/pan-africanism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat

Copyright on December 30, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Epiphany: Not over until the Wise Ones sing



The Wise Ones

For those who are once again counting the days until Christmas, not to worry.  It’s still right here and now.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is not just a song title.  In fact, the song stems from the actual twelve days of Christmastide – which usually begins on December 25 and ends on January 5.  Therefore, December 26 (which is often referred to as “the day after Christmas”) is actually only the second of Christmastide’s twelve days.  Those who just didn’t get to the stores “on time” can thus rest assured – there’s still plenty of Christmas left to go around.

The day immediately following Christmastide (January 6) is often referred to as Epiphany (meaning “appearance” and/or “manifestation” in Koine Greek).  Whereas Christmas Day (December 25) celebrates the Nativity of Jesus, Epiphany celebrates the Manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God.  One of the earliest evidences of this Manifestation was the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.  That is why the Magi are so often honored during Epiphany.  Later came the Baptism of Jesus and the Wedding at Cana.  These, too, have been a key part of Epiphany celebrations.

The Biblical Magi (aka Wise Men, Three Kings) came from the East to honor the baby Jesus (the only Gospel to tell of this event is Matthew 2).  According to this account, a star guided them to the place where Jesus lay.  Rev. John Henry Hopkins picked up on this theme when he wrote the famous carol We Three Kings of Orient Are.  It expands upon the three gifts that Matthew mentions:  gold (to crown Him again); frankincense (owns a Deity nigh); and myrrh (breathes of life of gathering gloom).

It seems that neither Christmas nor Epiphany is really over until the Wise Ones sing:  Guide us to Thy perfect light.

Resources     

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi

http://www.carols.org.uk/we_three_kings_of_orient_are.htm

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%202;&version=NIVUK;

     

Copyright December 29, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Holy Innocents: The Massacre and the Triumph



Triumph of the Innocents

Much has been written about King Herod’s alleged Massacre of the Innocents.  Matthew 2:16-18 tells us that - as prophesied by Jeremiah - Herod had all the youngest males in Bethlehem killed in order to protect his throne from then-Baby Jesus, the proclaimed new King of the Jews.

Many artists have painstakingly depicted what they imagined this bloody scene to have looked like.  The great Flemish painter, Rubens, shows piles of young bodies – some being forcefully snatched from their anguished parents, others lying dead on the ground.  Most other well-known portrayals focus upon violent details such as these.

One painting, however, markedly differs.  Instead of bearing the usual title, Massacre of the Innocents –

this painting is called Triumph of the Innocents.   It shows a soul-stirring aftermath to the massacre – one

in which the spirit bodies of these innocent first Christian martyrs are now free to accompany the Holy Family to Egypt.

The painter of this vision was William Holman Hunt, a cofounder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  One

pervasive belief of this Brotherhood was that art is essentially spiritual in nature.  Although Hunt was known as a realist, his realism was balanced with idealized perspectives.  This could explain why, instead of focusing upon the gory details of the massacre, Hunt instead focused upon its spiritual implications.

Interestingly enough, another cofounder of the Brotherhood – John Everett Millais – was sharply criticized for his portrayal of Christ in the House of His Parents.  According to Wikipedia, none other than Charles Dickens accused Millais of making Mary look “ugly,” and the entire Holy Family look like “alcoholics and slum-dwellers.”  Dickens considered this style of realism to be blasphemous.

Should members of the Holy Family instead look like supermodels?  Conversely, should Hunt’s angelic

innocents instead look a little more battle-scarred?  Striking a true balance between the harsh details of this realm and the alluring details of other realms is a formidable challenge for artists and philosophers alike.  Even when the spiritual ultimately triumphs, it remains crucial not to minimize the prior struggles.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Raphaelite_Brotherhood

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matthew+2%3A16-18

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Holman_Hunt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Everett_Millais

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Paul_Rubens

Copyright December 28, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Fruitcake: The better butter batter

If you think that the fruitcake sitting on your back shelf is a problem, bear in mind that it could have been much worse. 

Had you been in ancient Rome, you may have been given this oldest-known version instead:  barley mash sprinkled with pine nuts, raisins, and pomegranate seeds.  Not appetizing?  Then there’s always this one from the Middle Ages:  batter with preserved fruits, honey and  spices.

Although this is now beginning to sound like something to wash down with a cup of tea, the batter back then often left something to be desired.  That something was butter.

Abstaining from butter was part of the Catholic fasting practices at that time in countries such as Germany. German-style fruitcake (stollen) therefore began with just these three humble ingredients:  flour, water, and oats.  Since this is not all that different from many kindergarten paste recipes, people eventually protested.

Two such people were Prince Elector Ernst and Duke Albrecht - both rulers of Saxony.  Rather than just sitting around grinding their teeth on this gritty mix, they decided to do something about it.  They dashed off a letter to the Pope, requesting permission to substitute butter for the sometimes-added, always-challenging

turnip oil. 

Permission was denied for many years by many popes.  After Nicholas V (1447-1455), Callixtus III (1455-1458), Pius II (1458-1464), and Paul II (1464-1471) all said No! – finally, Innocent VIII (whose habitual persecutions weren’t all that innocent) said Yes, but…

In what came to be known as the “Butter-Letter,” Pope Innocent VIII took time out from his witch-hunts and inquisitions to declare in writing that the Prince Elector's household could now add the requested butter free of charge, but all others must pay for the privilege.

Perhaps the bitter aftertaste of this reply still lingers enough for some to shun even the better butter batter.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitcake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_VIII

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Church

Copyright December 27, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Boxing Day: Boxed-in by poverty



Molineaux vs. Cribb

If Rocky had lived back when, he would have more likely been a Boxing-Day “welfare recipient” than a Boxing-Day hero.  That’s because Boxing Day has underlyingly been much more about duking it out between social classes than it has been about duking it out in the ring.

Consider the words to the Good King Wenceslas carol:  Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen (St. Stephen’s Day – the 26^th of December)…  When a poor man came in sight gath’ring winter fuel…  (Although a good, and Catholic, king - Wenceslas was probably ensconced in his castle, page at his bidding, as he contemplated the fate of the poor man out there in the “cruel frost.”  This “Saint” Wenceslas then ordered the lower-class page to bring him flesh, wine, and pine logs - which no doubt the page lugged as they took off through the winter’s night.)  The author of these lyrics, John Mason Neale (who was himself a member of an upper class), then concludes:  Therefore, Christian men be sure, wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

Certainly, it is more of a blessing to give the poor a handout once a year than not to.  However, it would be way more of a blessing to truly begin to address the underlying reasons for the gaping chasm between the rich and the poor.  Instead, Boxing Day has merely served to reinforce this class distinction.

As Snopes pointed out: … equals exchanged gifts on Christmas Day or before, but lessers (be they trades people, employees, servants, serfs, or the generic “poor”) received their “boxes” on the day after.  It is to be noted that the social superiors did not receive anything back from those they played Lord Bountiful to:  a gift in return would have been seen as a presumptuous act of laying claim to equality…

Resources

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/boxingday.asp

http://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wenceslas.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mason_Neale

Copyright December 26, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

O Holy Night: Dreaming of a black and white Christmas

The third stanza of O Holy Night is the one that’s most often overlooked.  Although most know the song’s heavenly strains, few focus upon its earthly message.

That message is summed up in these few lines from the third stanza:  Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.  Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His name all oppression shall cease. 

The person who wrote the original version of those lines was Placide Cappeau, a non-Christian French poet of the 19^th century.  Cappeau, known more back then for his radical socialism than for his poetry, was deeply opposed to all forms of oppression.  He was an abolitionist at heart – thus, the third stanza. 

The poem was then set to music by French composer Adolphe Adam, who was best known until that time for writing operas and ballets.  Between Cappeau’s reputation as a radical, and Adam’s reputation as an entertainer, O Holy Night became more and more ostracized by conservative church officials.  Rumors were started that Adam was Jewish, which made the song’s acceptance into traditional Christian circles even more difficult.

O Holy Night might have eventually faded into oblivion had it not been “rescued” by the American Unitarian minister and music journalist, John Sullivan Dwight.  Dwight was a social idealist who resonated strongly with Cappeau’s abolitionist lyrics.  His now-famous English translation of Cappeau’s inspired words was allegedly first published in 1855.

There are numerous Christmas carols that tell of Christ’s miraculous birth.  What’s particularly unique about O Holy Night is that it strongly upholds Christ’s essential message:  Love one another.

Whether Christmas is white or not…

Resources

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/o_holy_night.htm

http://www.carols.org.uk/white_christmas.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Holy_Night

http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/johnsullivandwight.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placide_Cappeau

Copyright December 25, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved