This column is dedicated to the needs of individuals in gaining balance and harmony in their lives. As Akans, we know that our help comes from Onyame (Almighty God), the Abosom and the Nsamanfo. We believe that Onyame is The Supreme Being, creator of all things, and his word is absolute; the Abosom (lessor gods) were created by Onyame to act on his behalf and were given certain powers to carry out that mission; the Nsamanfo (ancestors) are the custodians of the laws, customs and traditions of Akan society, are concerned about our well-being, and are in close contact with Onyame whose favor they enjoy in a special way. (For more information, visit the Spirituality page). Therefore, every article that appears on this page is viewed and applied within that belief system. I will write some of the articles and some will come from articles that I have read which I feel may be beneficial to you.

NANA SPEAKS…ON FAITH AND COURAGE

This is a time that our faith in a Higher Power could be challenged. If we are not anchored in knowing that God has a plan for us and is in control of all things, our faith could be shaken. Every day we are affected by terrible news reports if not personal telephone about the attempted destruction of our families. For example:

• Our children and youth being murdered by peers
• Parents murdering or extremely abusing their children
• Parents being murdered by their children
• Drug addiction in our community among our youth and adults
• Sicknesses that seemingly have no cure using allopathic medicine
• Our families being destroyed by AIDS and other dis-eases, with limited access to natural medicine
• Results of continued mental slavery…Black on Black crimes, dysfunctional families
• Unharmonious communities and organizations
• The disenfranchisement of African Americans in the Diaspora in every way imaginable
• Unemployed youth whose hopes held onto promises of employment for the summer
• Unemployment and underemployment of adults which forces them to accept jobs that pay minimum wages or less
• Students who want to go to college but cannot afford to go because there is no real money to access except for interest bearing loans that would keep them in debt for many years after graduation. Thus, the only choice available is to co-opt the system of debt that is designed to oppress and stress us.
• Mainstream colleges that set standards so high that our children cannot possibly gain acceptance (SATs and other college admission exams, Acceptance Policies, Interview techniques, etc).
• The terrorist attacks around the world that is are also claiming members of our Diaspora family.
• Children bullying other children
• Gang violence
• Domestic violence
• And, the list goes on.

We must hold on to our knowledge and experiences about the power of God, the Abosom and Nsamanfo of which all of us have benefited many times in our lives. We, who believe that God is all powerful, or in other words, there is a Higher Power orchestrating life, must become stronger in this belief and conduct ourselves accordingly. We, who are practicing Akan religion and are immersed in the Akan culture, know that in God's caring about human beings on this earth plane, created a system of deities whereby even more work can be done for us. We call them the Abosom who have been awarded special abilities and privileges by Almighty God to conduct certain works on our behalf. And, our Nsamanfo or Ancestors have been given a special place to intervene with us when things are not going so well in the conduct of our everyday lives. They give us warnings when we are out of order, give us guidance when we ask for it (even if we don't ask for guidance they help us) and open doors that are previously closed to us.

Having this knowledge and vigorously practicing that which we know should allow us to function with a higher level of confidence and belief. It is faith in what we believe and the courage to apply those levels of faith that will assist us in the most profound ways. I believe that faith in the power of Almighty God, the ministers of God (Abosom) and our Nsamanfo (Ancestors) is the primary key to success on this planet earth. Courage is another key to successful living that requires one to activate that faith. I want to share with you several of my favorite Akan Proverbs from our ancient Akan ancestors on the topics of faith and courage.

From their experiences with life and outcomes to various situations, our Ancestors knew that God with whom they had always been dependent was continuing to look out for them in various ways. They also knew from some of these same experiences that human beings had a responsibility to themselves, family, and community that would have an affect on daily living. Additionally, watching the habits, reactions and responses of nature, which God alone created, provided answers to challenges, questions and many situations that faced them.

Our Ancestors have passed on these experiences and responses accordingly through Proverbs. We, traditional Akans, take these proverbs as our Bible, directory, road map and guide for living a good life that helps us to become role models for our children, peers, associates. We are able to greater degree to address the myriad of challenges that we are faced with on a daily basis.

The ancient Akan Elders say:
When God ties a knot, a human being cannot untie it.

The Akan have a wisdom knot, which a fool is not supposed to be able to untie. God's wisdom surpasses man's and therefore man cannot untie a knot made by God. It is another way of acknowledging God's immense wisdom and power.

When the day has not ended, you do not grumble against God.

This proverb cautions against being hasty to complain or grumble against God's own way of doing things. But, if one exercises patience, one will surely experience God's grace and beneficence.

If God is weaving a silk fabric for you and you are not patient and you touch it with your hand, it turns into bark cloth.

The ancient Akan used to cover themselves with bark cloth, kyekyen, by beating the bark of the tree into cloth. It had a dull light brown color, not as shiny and colorful as silk cloth. The Akan regarded the silk as a superior fabric to the kyekyen, hence the admonition that if God is preparing something special for you, you should not, out of impatience, interfere or interrupt God's plan. Patience yields enormous rewards.

If God gives you a calabash full of palm wine and a living man kicks it over; God fills it up again.

When God blesses a person and an evil-minded person or neighbor attempts to thwart it, God continues to bless that person. To the Akan, God's providence is unfailing and mortal men cannot frustrate God's good intentions for humans.

God removes the ring from the fingers of the giant through his shoulders.

Normally, we remove the ring on our finger by pulling it down, but God is able to remove the ring from the giant's finger in the opposite direction, by pulling it over his hefty shoulders. God can do what humans cannot do and has greater power than men.

It is on the battlefield that the brave person displays his courage, not in the house.

The truly courageous person shows his bravery through his deeds when the occasion arises but does not show his courage where it is not needed.

Whoever has killed an elephant cannot be regarded as an ordinary person.

It takes exceptional courage and determination to accomplish a great feat, and people who achieve such distinction must be recognized as having attained a status above that of ordinary men or women.

It is a man who drinks medicine that is bitter.

The courageous person does not buckle under in the face of adversity. It is a means of encouragement to people in the face of difficulty.

When they strike you on the top of your head, they are strengthening your neck.

People who carry loads on their heads need strong necks in order to do so. This suggests that adversity strengthens us to be able to face life in the future. Adversity has its positive aspects.

The tsetse fly (looking for blood to suck) stands at the back of the tortoise in vain.

Advises people not to allow problems or anything else that may be done to hurt them, to penetrate their skins. It is a suggestion of steadfastness in the face of adversity.

Even the crab (which lives near water) becomes thirsty sometimes, how much more the monkey, which lives in trees?

All people experience adversity or wants sometimes, regardless of their circumstances or condition of life.

To help alleviate some of the stresses, challenges and questions that haunt us every day, I recommend that you take time to review the proverbs, meditate on them, memorize them and internalize them.. If you do this, when faced with situations or when you need encouragement, at least one of these Proverbs will surface in your mind to assist you in getting in touch with your spiritual center. In addition, it is absolutely necessary for you to continue your daily worship, rituals and spiritual practices in order to remain mentally, physically and spiritually balanced.

It is my prayer that Nyame, Odomankama, the Abosom, your Ancestors, the Orisha, Neters, Loa and all the Ministers of God and Spirit Guides continue to bless you, guide you and give you peace.

Peace and Blessings,

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