Bob Marley was a Rastafari, believed in Jah and the Ethiopian God, but often quoted the Bible. We are taught by the Bible to be good. If we do so, we won’t get an ass whooping (oops), instead, we’ll get rewards from a space daddy. If that sounds blasphemous, it is because that’s how Christianity is delivered today. I don’t know about Allah, or Buddha or any other space daddy out there. But the thing is, even though I was raised in church and was a Sunday school teacher for the longest time and a preacher for some time, I got lost. Then one day, I ran into some beautiful humans and they taught me about socialism and my relationship with capital and THE PEOPLE. While reading about capitalism vs socialism, I couldn’t help but finally ‘hear’ what I so loudly talked about as a little girl, quite often to crowds. Be a messenger of love. Old wine must be thrown out of the cellar for the new wine to brew well. In other words, tear down the old tyranny and build one that prioritizes social capital and environmental protection.
Many across the globe celebrate Christmas in malls. Trees are decorated with lights so bright that the birds and squirrels can no longer inhabit them. Others have special meals, while others buy new clothers and take day out as a family.. But the history of Christmas day as passed down to us, has nothing to do with Jesus, or what he was here for. So, here are some of the lessons I have gotten from Jesus for the last one year (I am still learning. Note, the Bible is the greatest book of magic ever written if you know how to read it.)
Don’t talk about love, be about it, love for yourself, love for your neighbor, love for the environment, love for your enemies.
The heart of any revolutionary movement calls for love, not just for our comrades or for the people we fight for, but love through Utu and or Ubuntu. Recognizing that everything on this earth requires our protection, and it is not by accident that we humans were granted the greatest responsibility to be thinkers and innovators. We should fulfil that responsibility through our love. This calls for a love festival this “Holiday” season. Love your neighbor as yourself.
1.Your Faith is all you will ever need at certain moments.
Times are hard. For a revolutionary much worse right now. The capitalist system adapts with every progress we make. Faith is going to be enough to keep it together when you are arrested or when they martyr some of us. We have got to be out there, keeping the faith. while keeping in mind that this fight is not going to be fought by us only. When they kill us, our children will continue with the struggle. Keep the faith dear brothers and sisters.
2.Keep your tools ready and always be prepared for the revolution
Read your books, keep physical. The day of reckoning cannot be ascertained. We learnt this with the Gen-Z movement. Let us read our books, let us go for the runs and physical hiking, let us learn from the Mau Mau and Black Panthers, and let us stay prepared.
3.Keep the masses prepared and engaged.
We have no better weapon than our organizing. Keep your community informed, keep the people engaged and interested, keep them loving one another and understanding the enemy and why he needs to be fought. Keep them in the know of the systems around them and how best they can navigate now and during the time of revolt. Teach the masses, always. Organize, educate, liberate.
4.Keep your comrades’ close by and when you can, recruit more especially those you think are unfit.
12 proved to be a magic number for Jesus’s apostles but let’s have as many of them as we can, internationally and at home. Let us look out for one another and devote our brotherhood and sisterhood to building a strong army as we prepare for the revolt.
5.Learn to learn and grow from hard moments
Learn to frame your material struggles as an opportunity to learn about a system meant to oppress you and fight from it.Use instances of police brutality as moments not to just mourn and plant trees for our lost comrades but as an opportunity to dismantle colonial legacies, use trying moments to build solidarity and love for one another and for the masses.
6.Take time away and learn from those who were there before you.
We can learn about past movements by reading. Learn to take time away and recharge, lest you become a celebrity of the movement having done or achieved nothing for the people.
7.You will be betrayed by those closest to you, always be prepared for it.
We are talking about you Judas, we see you Judas. Be prepared for it. Send them away with love, and learn that you can still win your battles regardless of the wars waged against you.
8,Your commitment to the struggle is for the greater good.
Love and pursue the revolution more than you will desire material gains, they’ are very important yes, but the masses don’t have them. Teach them how to survive while fighting for the new order.
That’s a lot of learning. There’s plenty more when you learn to read the book. Whether you read it for yourself, or not, the book was forced on us anyway and many of us have the above lessons at the back of our minds.
*Wavinya Kavivya is a social Innovator. She is the Founder of Vinya Weaving Lab, a social enterprise working with marginalized women.
