THE PAST AGE.....

by Edson M. Chilala
(Kitwe, Zambia)

A GREAT MAN IN THE NAME OF ARNOLD ZWEIG IN HIS THOUGHTFUL REFLECTIONS ON THE WORLDS CELEBRATED PHILOSOPHERS, INTER ALIA, BARUCH DE SPINOZA ONCE SAID;

"THAT WHICH TODAY’S EDUCATED MAN CHERISHES AS HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HIS CONVICTION IS AN INTELLECTUAL HERITAGE CREATED AND DEFENDED A HUNDRED OR A THOUSAND YEARS AGO BY REBELLIOUS INDIVIDUALS OFTEN IN BATTLE WITH THEIR AGE."

THE ESSENCE OF GREAT WORKS FROM EVERY AGE OR PAST NATION IS THE TENACITY AND LOVE FOR FREEDOM WITH WHICH THE PARTICULAR AGE SAW THE NEED OF THEIR DESCENDANTS AND THEMSELVES TO BE SET FREE FROM THE CORRUPT, UNJUSTIFIED, AND INDIGNIFYING VICES OF THEIR TIME. IT’S THEIR PASSION IN THE QUEST TO BRING TO AN END THAT WHICH THEY CONSIDERED UNHOLY AND EVIL IN THEIR SIGHT THAT SHOULD AMAZE US THE MOST AND NOT WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED. IT’S THEIR BEING UNMINDFUL OF THEIR LIVES, GIVING THEIR NATURAL AND IN-BORNE GREEDINESS NO ROOM, WHICH SHOULD MOVE US AND NOT THEIR STUBBORNNESS TO THE INTER-POSITIONS AND NULLIFICATIONS OF THEIR THEN INTIMIDATORS.

LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING JNR, A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE PAST AGE WHILST IN PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS SHOULD MAKE EACH ONE OF US TO ASK OURSELVES THIS PERTINENT QUESTION, JUST HOW MUCH PASSION DO I HAVE TO SEE THINGS CHANGED? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CURRENT AGE THAT WE CANNOT BE MOTIVATED AND INSPIRED BY WHAT THE PAST AGE WENT THROUGH FOR US TO HAVE THIS SO MUCH SPOKEN OF FREEDOM? THE PAST AGE SHOWED WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY, THEIR DISCONTENT WITH THEIR LIVES, THEIR SYSTEMS, GOVERNANCE, FINANCIAL INTEGRITY, MORALS, CREDIBILITY, COMPETENCIES, ATTITUDE, DAILY MANEUVERINGS, AND THE GENERAL OUTLOOK ON LIFE’S REALITIES….
TO THIS END WE ARE REMINDED OF THE WORDS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST ORATORS OF THE THEN AGE-MARTIN LUTHER KING JNR,
THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE ASKING THE DEVOTEES OF CIVIL RIGHTS, “WHEN WILL YOU BE SATISFIED?”…WE CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED AS LONG AS OUR BODIES HEAVY WITH FATIGUE OF TRAVEL CANNOT GAIN LODGING IN THE MOTELS OF OUR HIGHWAYS AND HOTELS OF OUR CITIES…NO, NO, WE ARE NOT SATISFIED AND WE WILL NOT BE SATISFIED UNTIL JUSTICE ROLLS DOWN LIKE WATERS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM.

IT IS FROM THE SACRIFICES OF THE DEVOTEES OF CIVIL RIGHTS THAT AMERICA HAS BECOME A COMPLETE DEMOCRACY AND THE CUSTODIAN OF THE VIRTUES AND VALUES OF THIS RULE. THE DEVOTEES OF CIVIL RIGHTS ENUNCIATED BY LUTHER KING WOULD BE THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNANIMOUS APPREHENSION OF BARACK OBAMA AS THE 1ST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

IT IS FROM THE MAMA KANKASA’S OF ZAMBIA THAT WE LEARN AND UNDERSTAND FREEDOM…IT IS FROM THE FREEDOM STATUE THAT WE SEE IN LUSAKA DURING NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS THAT WE INSINUATE FREEDOM…BUT FREEDOM IS WORTH MORE THAN THE STATUE THAT WE SEE…IT IS BEYOND THE PROMISES WE RECEIVE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY…

FREEDOM WAS GRANTED TO US ON A SILVER PLATTER BY THE PAST AGE BUT WHAT HAVE WE DONE ABOUT OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. LETS LIVE OUR LIVES A LOT MORE BETTER THAN OUR ANCESTORS DID. LETS BE INSPIRED BY THEIR WORKS AND GO AN EXTRA MILE.

WE CAN,BARACK WOULD SAY BACK THEN, BUT I SAY : WE HAVE AND WE WILL DO GREATER WORKS THAN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE US.

THANK YOU AND GOD GRACIOUSLY AND RICHLY BLESS YOU.