With the Christmas season upon us I decided to take the liberty of witting some new lyrics to one of my favorite holiday songs. I hope you had a merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year! Enjoy!
The following definitions will help you with
the lyrics to the song:
Kombi: mini bus taxis found throughout Africa
and are usually overfilled with people
and known for blasting local music
House Music: South African Dance music that
originated in the black townships,
also know as Township Funk
Sawubona: Traditional Zulu greeting for “Hello”
Cane: Slang for Sugar Cane, which is the number
one export of KwaZulu-Natal
Tea (afternoon tea): As in many former British colonies, tea time
is still celebrated in much of South Africa
Kwaito: South Africa’s hip-hop music, like house, it
originated in the townships, mostly around
Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town
Braai: South African barbeque, used as both a noun
and a verb
Bohr Voors: South Africa sausages, usually cooked at
braais
Rooiboos: A sweet red tea only grown in South Africa,
also known by the locals as bush tea
Mutton: sheep meat, used in many curry dishes
Vuvuzela: South African horn, usually played at
soccer matches; the sound of thousands
of them is much like a loud bee hive
Kombi Ride
(To the Tune of Sleigh Ride)
Just hear that house music blastin’,
And horns a honkin’ too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you
Outside the sun is shinning
and friends are greeting “Sawubona” to you,
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.
Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
let's go, no ride is the same,
We're riding in a wonderland of cane.
Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
it's grand, Just holding your hand,
We're flying along with a song
of a hot local house band
Our cheeks are hot and sweaty
and warm and ready are we
For a dip in the Indian Ocean
to cool ourselves before tea.
Let's take that road before us
and sing a kwaito chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.
There's a braai party
at the home of Baba Khathi
There’ll be so many people to greet and see.
We'll be singing the songs
we love to sing without a single stop
At the braai stand while we watch
the bohr voors pop. pop! pop! pop!
There's a happy feeling
nothing in the world can buy
When we pass around the Rooiboos
and the mutton pie
Vuvuzelas buzzin’ just like crazy bee hives
These wonderful things are the things
we remember all through our lives!
Just hear that house music blastin’,
And horns a honkin’ too
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you
Outside the sun is shinning
and friends are greeting “Sawubona” to you,
Come on, it's lovely weather
for a kombi ride together with you.
It's lovely weather for a kombi ride together with you
It's lovely weather for a kombi ride together with you
(in place of the traditional horse sound add the sound of screeching tires)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Africa: The Frontline of Creation Care
Kubanda kakhulu!, which is IsiZulu for It’s very cold today! Kushisa kakhulu!, IsiZulu for It’s very hot today! One day its extremely cold, the next, extremely hot, then cold again. The spring weather in KwaZulu-Natal has been abnormal to say the least. So, what exactly is normal weather these days? The people of Umphumulo don’t seem to know and neither do I. As I write this post, the great climate change debate rages on while world leaders prepare for this month’s Copenhagen Summit. I will try to steer clear of the usual climate change debate in this reflection. This entry will be neither soapbox rant regarding who’s at fault, nor a barrage of statistics and data. Instead I hope that the following will help open the door on what should be the most crucial part of the debate: what will happen to the millions of impoverished people who will be most affected by changes in our climate?...and what are our roles as Christians in this struggle?
I believe the climate debate has long been lost in the wilderness of politics. Each side of the spectrum has done their best to spin statistics, to paint the other as either evil incarnate or tree-hugging fools. They have spent millions of dollars to push their agendas, all the while, seeming to forget what it is they are fighting for. I must admit I’m a little fatigued from it all. While I hope that the Copenhagen Summit provides an opportunity to look at all the facts and leave the Inconvenient Truths and Climategates behind, I think we, as Christians, need to look at the broader theme at hand. Whether we like it or not, humanity is interdependent, and as followers of Christ, we are bound to serve and care for each other. Whether you believe that we humans have or haven’t contributed to climate change has little importance in regards to helping those who are and will be affected by it. If you are still in the camp that believes climate change isn’t happening, I can’t help you here. I’ve seen with my own eyes the potential dangers that lie ahead for the people of South Africa as weather patterns shift and intensify. The changes here in Africa are indeed happening and on a much larger scale than most in the northern hemisphere perceive. With a recent torrent of violent storms hitting our province the people of KZN a bracing for more and feeling the effects on so many different levels. Folks in my village are visibly concerned and overwhelmingly confused. So many questions are swirling around the issue here. How bad will things get? What will this mean for the local farmers? Will the summer growing season be drastically shortened? How will crops respond to these changes? One lady I spoke with even made the suggestion that the recent weather might be the start of the apocalypse. End times aside, there is something odd about the weather patterns here, and it seems everyone has taken notice. With colder temperatures forging deeper into the spring months and sharp contrasts of blazing heat, it’s been hard for the locals to know what to do. What happens when the very livelihood of a community depends on reliable seasons and that which once was reliable is now anything but?
Scientists predict that the largest shifts in temperature and weather patterns will tend to happen in the southern hemisphere and along the equator where the vast majority of the developing world exists*. This means that those most affected will be those least prepared and least able to combat the challenge. For Africa it may mean the complete collapse of an already fractured farming output. One example of this is already happening downstream from Africa’s iconic Mt. Kilimanjaro. For years now scientists have used satellite imagery to show the vast depletion of Kili’s ice fields. In the past century they have shrunk by nearly 80%*! But real story is taking place along Kilimanjaro’s main river, the Pangani, where dwindling water supplies have turned communities against each other. Some of these conflicts have now turned violent, and with no end in sight the future prospects are frightening. This is just one small example of what soon may become commonplace throughout the developing world. The water wars, as it’s been dubbed, may commence sooner that we think, and it won’t be pretty if the global community doesn’t have a plan in place to deal with these issues.
What do we, as Christians, see as our role in all of this? Well, for starters, as with any other international challenge, we mustn’t fall into the trap of finger pointing. The reality is that we must all take responsibility to ensure that those who are suffering have a voice, for we are called to bear the cross for all, to lift up those in need in the name of Christ. If we do not seek justice in unjust times, how can we begin to fully embrace Christ’s path for us? The advent of climate change has begun to further expose the vast injustices between the rich and the poor, the weak and the powerful, the well-connected and the downtrodden. In a country with one of the highest disparities between rich and poor, South Africa is a clear example of why we must take steps now to mitigate the widening gap. We, as Americans, have been blessed with great wealth and opportunity, but what good is any of it if it doesn’t spawn prosperity and growth for others in our global community? God purposefully created us to need one another. It is through this need that we are all bound in communion with our Creator. To reject this notion is to undermine our role as brothers’ keepers and further separate us from our responsibilities as caretakers of God’s creation. If we are to truly follow God’s will we must stop pretending that the world’s problems don’t really affect us, that because they are thousands of miles away they are somehow less important. The era of “It’s not my problem” needs to end, because in the end it will be our problem. God has given us an amazing gift in our planet earth, and with that gift, comes a responsibility to take care of it and all whom dwell on it. If we each look to God for strength our struggles can be met head on. Through prayer, vigilance, education, and a hands-on approach we can begin to make a difference in the world around us. This isn’t hippie-talk folks, this is the cornerstone of faith, it is what happens when the Holy Spirit breathes life into us and sends us forth, no matter the challenge!
Faith is a huge part of the South African community in which I live. Faith in the Lord and the knowledge that more can be achieved by working in unison keeps the wheels of Umphumulo spinning. The people here get what it means to meet needs by tapping into each other’s gifts. Though they might not always have the answers or travel the quickest road to the solution, that fact that the community matters so much goes a long way in meeting their daily challenges. The changes in climate may indeed bring seemingly insurmountable challenges, but some how, they will find a way. It won’t just happen, nothing here just happens. It will take a community effort, which is a lesson for us all. If we can adopt the mentality of Umbuntu: “I am because we are” in a global context the challenges of the future, including climate change, will ultimately be met. We will have to put aside our differences, to swallow our pride, and step way out of our comfort zones, but I believe it is possible. Climate change is one of many emerging examples of why we must find unity in purpose. This not an American issue or a South African issue, this is a global issue…that needs a global solution. God has blessed us with so much including the potential to harness the powers of empathy, humility, and selflessness. These unorthodox examples of power may not necessarily be western society’s understanding of power, but this is where true power lies. Jesus has shown us what true power is, He has shown us the path to follow, now it’s time to leave behind our nets of indifference and follow Him. Reach out to your brother or sister in need, for that is what we are called to do, it is God’s will.
*Statistics were taken from the October 2008 issue of Africa Geographic
I believe the climate debate has long been lost in the wilderness of politics. Each side of the spectrum has done their best to spin statistics, to paint the other as either evil incarnate or tree-hugging fools. They have spent millions of dollars to push their agendas, all the while, seeming to forget what it is they are fighting for. I must admit I’m a little fatigued from it all. While I hope that the Copenhagen Summit provides an opportunity to look at all the facts and leave the Inconvenient Truths and Climategates behind, I think we, as Christians, need to look at the broader theme at hand. Whether we like it or not, humanity is interdependent, and as followers of Christ, we are bound to serve and care for each other. Whether you believe that we humans have or haven’t contributed to climate change has little importance in regards to helping those who are and will be affected by it. If you are still in the camp that believes climate change isn’t happening, I can’t help you here. I’ve seen with my own eyes the potential dangers that lie ahead for the people of South Africa as weather patterns shift and intensify. The changes here in Africa are indeed happening and on a much larger scale than most in the northern hemisphere perceive. With a recent torrent of violent storms hitting our province the people of KZN a bracing for more and feeling the effects on so many different levels. Folks in my village are visibly concerned and overwhelmingly confused. So many questions are swirling around the issue here. How bad will things get? What will this mean for the local farmers? Will the summer growing season be drastically shortened? How will crops respond to these changes? One lady I spoke with even made the suggestion that the recent weather might be the start of the apocalypse. End times aside, there is something odd about the weather patterns here, and it seems everyone has taken notice. With colder temperatures forging deeper into the spring months and sharp contrasts of blazing heat, it’s been hard for the locals to know what to do. What happens when the very livelihood of a community depends on reliable seasons and that which once was reliable is now anything but?
Scientists predict that the largest shifts in temperature and weather patterns will tend to happen in the southern hemisphere and along the equator where the vast majority of the developing world exists*. This means that those most affected will be those least prepared and least able to combat the challenge. For Africa it may mean the complete collapse of an already fractured farming output. One example of this is already happening downstream from Africa’s iconic Mt. Kilimanjaro. For years now scientists have used satellite imagery to show the vast depletion of Kili’s ice fields. In the past century they have shrunk by nearly 80%*! But real story is taking place along Kilimanjaro’s main river, the Pangani, where dwindling water supplies have turned communities against each other. Some of these conflicts have now turned violent, and with no end in sight the future prospects are frightening. This is just one small example of what soon may become commonplace throughout the developing world. The water wars, as it’s been dubbed, may commence sooner that we think, and it won’t be pretty if the global community doesn’t have a plan in place to deal with these issues.
What do we, as Christians, see as our role in all of this? Well, for starters, as with any other international challenge, we mustn’t fall into the trap of finger pointing. The reality is that we must all take responsibility to ensure that those who are suffering have a voice, for we are called to bear the cross for all, to lift up those in need in the name of Christ. If we do not seek justice in unjust times, how can we begin to fully embrace Christ’s path for us? The advent of climate change has begun to further expose the vast injustices between the rich and the poor, the weak and the powerful, the well-connected and the downtrodden. In a country with one of the highest disparities between rich and poor, South Africa is a clear example of why we must take steps now to mitigate the widening gap. We, as Americans, have been blessed with great wealth and opportunity, but what good is any of it if it doesn’t spawn prosperity and growth for others in our global community? God purposefully created us to need one another. It is through this need that we are all bound in communion with our Creator. To reject this notion is to undermine our role as brothers’ keepers and further separate us from our responsibilities as caretakers of God’s creation. If we are to truly follow God’s will we must stop pretending that the world’s problems don’t really affect us, that because they are thousands of miles away they are somehow less important. The era of “It’s not my problem” needs to end, because in the end it will be our problem. God has given us an amazing gift in our planet earth, and with that gift, comes a responsibility to take care of it and all whom dwell on it. If we each look to God for strength our struggles can be met head on. Through prayer, vigilance, education, and a hands-on approach we can begin to make a difference in the world around us. This isn’t hippie-talk folks, this is the cornerstone of faith, it is what happens when the Holy Spirit breathes life into us and sends us forth, no matter the challenge!
Faith is a huge part of the South African community in which I live. Faith in the Lord and the knowledge that more can be achieved by working in unison keeps the wheels of Umphumulo spinning. The people here get what it means to meet needs by tapping into each other’s gifts. Though they might not always have the answers or travel the quickest road to the solution, that fact that the community matters so much goes a long way in meeting their daily challenges. The changes in climate may indeed bring seemingly insurmountable challenges, but some how, they will find a way. It won’t just happen, nothing here just happens. It will take a community effort, which is a lesson for us all. If we can adopt the mentality of Umbuntu: “I am because we are” in a global context the challenges of the future, including climate change, will ultimately be met. We will have to put aside our differences, to swallow our pride, and step way out of our comfort zones, but I believe it is possible. Climate change is one of many emerging examples of why we must find unity in purpose. This not an American issue or a South African issue, this is a global issue…that needs a global solution. God has blessed us with so much including the potential to harness the powers of empathy, humility, and selflessness. These unorthodox examples of power may not necessarily be western society’s understanding of power, but this is where true power lies. Jesus has shown us what true power is, He has shown us the path to follow, now it’s time to leave behind our nets of indifference and follow Him. Reach out to your brother or sister in need, for that is what we are called to do, it is God’s will.
*Statistics were taken from the October 2008 issue of Africa Geographic
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