Dr. Leahcim Semaj
Psychologist | Author | Speaker | Workshops | Management Consultant | Spiritual Guide | Social Philosopher
I am not a champion runner so when I do the half marathon…I walk
I am neither a singer nor a poet so when asked to perform…I talk
The Power of The Word
The Universe is energy and information which is processed as a feelings or thoughts.
This becomes our beliefs. We then use words to shape the thoughts and convey our feelings and transmit them to others or to guide or justify our actions.
But it is not usually a straight transmission:
What begins as feeling or thought is then shaped by previous beliefs and assumptions and then expressed as words or action. Because many people are emotionally illiterate – lack the vocabulary to articulate their feeling – the poets and writers help us to give meaning to our feelings and thoughts.
Likewise, poets and Psychologists use words to heal and to reprogramme the mind in a more productive manner. Then there are those who have chosen to be the ‘devil’s advocate’ – they use words to debase, distort and destroy.
It was Jesus who was reported to have said – “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” (Matt 15:11)
Ralph Waldo Emerson told us that – “Thought is the blossom, Language the bud, Action the fruit”.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH THE WORD.
Of all the powerful weapons of destruction that man has invented, the most powerful is the word.
Knives and guns leave traces
Slaps and punches leave bruises
Bombs shake buildings and streets and leave empty spaces
But the word can strike without ever leaving the pages
When driven by the healthy mind the word is unequaled with the power of creation:
The ignorant can be informed
Lives can be transformed
The impossible can be performed
“Words like ammunition should be carefully selected and aimed before being fired.” (Marcus Garvey)
Words – The Initial act of Creation:
Man Makes God, then God reciprocates by making man. (Man articulates the concept of god and then that concept shapes lives
John 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning was the word” So if you can’t name it, you certainly can’t claim it
Genesis 2:19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;
The African Griot
In the West African past, little history was set down on parchment, but much was remembered.
Musicians known as griots held the memory of their people in their hearts, preserving history through a vast repertoire of richly detailed chronicles set to music.
The griot was a story-teller, poet, historian, philosopher, genealogist, and the archive of his or her people’s traditions.
Educated and wise, carriers of a history learned from their parents who were also griots, they often counselled kings and tutored the children of royalty. The griots of the present draw on the same repertoire of songs, some nearly a thousand years old, to keep the history of their people alive. It is also said that when a griot dies, it is akin to a library burning down.
The traditional instrument of the griot is the 21-string kora which is also known as the West African Harp. In the past, the griot’s task was the memorization of births and deaths, marriages, wars, hunts, and clan history. They often spoke for the king or village chief, who would whisper in the ear of a griot who would then deliver the message loudly for all to hear. Griots were in service for all.
Today, no traditional gathering, such as a wedding, baptism, or child naming, is complete without one or more griots to speak on behalf of each family involved and to provide entertainment. There is no set reward for their services and they rely on the gifts of their patrons. Although the role of the griot has diminished with the evolution of contemporary society and the passage of time, the griot still remains an integral part of the culture of West Africa and the strongest link to centuries of history.
We know that there is a finite boundary to people’s capacity when they act from knowledge; it expands when they act from feelings; but none when they are under the influence of imagination.
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