Transition, Transformation and Radical Thinking.
There is a man in the bible whose origins and life have often been disputed because of the vast array of skills that he seems it have had. His name was Samuel and He came onto the scene when the people of God needed a King. Because he was a transitional figure he was a mix of many things (and many people of this kind often are). He was prophet and priest and had the privilege of being raised in the house of an older priest (Eli). As part of his priestly arsenal, he has a vial of oil that he would use to pour over the man God would anoint and King. The magic potion was a much sought over collection of secret herbs and oils whose distinct scent would mark a man or woman for the Kingship.
The first one to have had this privilege was Saul. But then there was a need for a change in the system and so Samuel went in search of a successor. It is said that he visited the sons of Jesse. And went through the whole lot of them but was dissatisfied until they mentioned a forgotten teenager who was out there taking care of the flock.
So we have searched for a link to the future of a people whose history is peppered with tragic experiences. We went through the dark phase when two possible spokespersons for this move were gunned down in a time that probably altered the manner in which Americans viewed their governments. They were it seems two extreme opposites of each other Malcolm X on one hand and Martin Luther King on another. They both spawned movements of their own which were carried along by those whom they held closest but it seems as though, no visible successor apart from some prominent family members came to the fore.
I held my breathe as a son of a modern day Jesse demonstrated in some regards leanings toward leadership but our hopes were dashed when he faded into the background. So where then is the proverbial 'shepherd boy'? Was it BHO? I do not think so. There was the right mix of Oration and charm but there was a missing ingredient. Maybe we need to look further. There have been some who have made the amazing shift into alternative places of influence top of which has been in entertainment. Others have made a name for themselves using the Practice of the law. Others have used sports but there has been a difficulty in finding access to the streams that bubbled in the sixties.
I am pleased for example with leaders such as Rev. Sharpton who have managed to live seamlessly through different setting from Law to Media and even Church blending their skills in activism and community building. What I think there has been difficulty in is passing on the torch and translating sixties challenges into 21 century efforts. I think that we have had some expressions of this with the black lives matter movement. But like the Tea party and the Occupy movement there has been some trouble summarizing these gatherings into political forces that can gather under a single idea.
Maybe the results of the election and the ideas that it has brought to the surface will help expose 'the unknown son'. We wait to see.
There is a man in the bible whose origins and life have often been disputed because of the vast array of skills that he seems it have had. His name was Samuel and He came onto the scene when the people of God needed a King. Because he was a transitional figure he was a mix of many things (and many people of this kind often are). He was prophet and priest and had the privilege of being raised in the house of an older priest (Eli). As part of his priestly arsenal, he has a vial of oil that he would use to pour over the man God would anoint and King. The magic potion was a much sought over collection of secret herbs and oils whose distinct scent would mark a man or woman for the Kingship.
The first one to have had this privilege was Saul. But then there was a need for a change in the system and so Samuel went in search of a successor. It is said that he visited the sons of Jesse. And went through the whole lot of them but was dissatisfied until they mentioned a forgotten teenager who was out there taking care of the flock.
So we have searched for a link to the future of a people whose history is peppered with tragic experiences. We went through the dark phase when two possible spokespersons for this move were gunned down in a time that probably altered the manner in which Americans viewed their governments. They were it seems two extreme opposites of each other Malcolm X on one hand and Martin Luther King on another. They both spawned movements of their own which were carried along by those whom they held closest but it seems as though, no visible successor apart from some prominent family members came to the fore.
I held my breathe as a son of a modern day Jesse demonstrated in some regards leanings toward leadership but our hopes were dashed when he faded into the background. So where then is the proverbial 'shepherd boy'? Was it BHO? I do not think so. There was the right mix of Oration and charm but there was a missing ingredient. Maybe we need to look further. There have been some who have made the amazing shift into alternative places of influence top of which has been in entertainment. Others have made a name for themselves using the Practice of the law. Others have used sports but there has been a difficulty in finding access to the streams that bubbled in the sixties.
I am pleased for example with leaders such as Rev. Sharpton who have managed to live seamlessly through different setting from Law to Media and even Church blending their skills in activism and community building. What I think there has been difficulty in is passing on the torch and translating sixties challenges into 21 century efforts. I think that we have had some expressions of this with the black lives matter movement. But like the Tea party and the Occupy movement there has been some trouble summarizing these gatherings into political forces that can gather under a single idea.
Maybe the results of the election and the ideas that it has brought to the surface will help expose 'the unknown son'. We wait to see.
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