My dear friends
It might sound somewhat humorous or exaggerated but the
isiZulu proverb that describes a harmonious relationship amongst siblings is just classic.
Picture brothers and sisters sitting around and sharing a dish of - locust's head.
My mind went back to my childhood days and I recalled how
minute budgets provided much excitement and happiness. It was at Chibini that we as
children enjoyed a dish of flying ants or 'izinkobe' (cooked dry maize).
Looking back, I ask myself why visits to my mother's people,
the Jilas of Ekhamanzi, were always the climax on the annual calendar. As for food the
main draw was 'amasi' (sour milk). We knew nothing about bathing attire but we thoroughly
enjoyed our swimming. There were no trampolines but sand dongas did it. The water going
over a smooth rock saw us sliding down and roaring with laughter!
As a lover of music I count it as a privilege that I have
been a part of choirs that performed works of great masters like Haendel, Haydn, Strauss,
Mendelssohn etc. On the other hand, I must admit that some of the most fulfilling moments
of music fellowship were in a mud-house filled with unpolished voices and hearts aflame
for God.
Attending business breakfasts can be a rewarding experience
indeed but what must it have been like to partake in the breakfast that Jesus prepared
that morning by the Sea of Galilee? The list on the menu was rather short but the touch of
the Master's hand and His presence filled the place with a piece of heaven.
There is something special about male voice choirs. I
remember the serene atmosphere as we sang "Be still my soul" at Dlangezwa High
School or "Abide with me tis eventide" with the KwaSizabantu Men's Choir. But
how can our limited minds imagine the moments just after our Lord's last supper? We are
told that Jesus and his eleven disciples sang a hymn before they went out to the Mount of
Olives. Indescribable beauty and depth!
King David in Psalm 133 sings about the goodness and
pleasantness of brothers living together in unity. What crowns it all is when God comes to
pronounce His blessing - "even life forevermore."
Yes dear friends, we might have only a "locust's
head" between us but when we share it in love and unity in the presence of our Lord
we get a foretaste of heaven on earth.
"They broke bread in their homes and
ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:42)
Have a blessed weekend!
Pressing on!
In His love
Fano Sibisi
