Except for painting over the tops of the bottle caps, my new Mbira is on its way to much use. I played it while waiting for dinner last night, and have shared it with three children already and been amazed at their responses.
The Mbira comes from Africa, where occupiers forced themselves into the continent, attempting to spread new beliefs. In many places and times up until WWII, playing or owning a Mbira was a serious offense. Because it was believed to connect the players and listeners to their ancestors, both for protection and guidance, it was not approved by the europeans who had other agendas for African peoples.
So in the way that a hidden cupboard behind the fireplace that was used to hide slaves, and the exhumation of a Polish coffin that hid a Torah for decades until its community could relocate and send back for it, the Mbira represents that sense of justice. When people have the courage to follow God's law, not man's law--when they are able to find in themselves the power to do what is right in spite of fear of painful consequences--those symbols, like the underground railroad cupboard or the Torah or the little simple rain-like mbira, those symbols should help us carry the message that peace and not violence are the method we should use to respect and love one another.
I named my Mbira "Scattergood." May the opportunities to use it to teach and to spread Peace be many and often. In the manner of tradition of respect to ancestors, I have attached to my mbira not only some color, but an iron piece I got while walking with my brother, some bells from my wedding, beads from my grandmother, and a spirograph to remind me of a long-ago teacher. You can learn about mbiras, or order your own, from Solomon Murungu, 1 McNulty Road, Bolton MA 01740. Spread Peace.
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