FINDING HAPPINESS AMIDST HARDSHIPS. COVID-19 TO JERUSALEMA-19

My introductory part of this compendium is from the 1st letter of Paul to the church in Corinth. 'No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.' 1st Corinthians 10:13.
Despite the authenticity of every scripture in the holy bible from Genesis to Revelation, I am still in a total dilemma on which year to blame on matters covid-19. Should 2019 bear the blame for allowing a deadly virus to stem within its span of twelve months or should we blame 2020 for harbouring a deadly virus which the year 2020 just like myself knew nothing about. How I wish that 2020 could have totally refrained from being urshered in until 2019 had completely sorted out its covid issues. On a second thought, maybe 2020 wasn't informed that covid was airborne and highly contagious and thus a dire need to social distance itself from the year 2019, use sanitizer on regular basis, put on a face mask and to some extent a face shield.
Well, now that 2020 failed to request God to halt the sun until the battle of covid-19 was won just like Joshua did when he led the Israelite army in a battle with the Amorites, we are left with no other choice but to overcome covid-19 battle with the word of God, prayer and fasting and a total adherence to all the measures put forth by the government through the health experts and all other relevant authorities.
Since the bible says that not a single word of God shall return to Him void, (Isaiah 55:11) the scriptures in 1st Corinthians 10:13 aren't an exception. God is truly making a way out of this deadly covid-19 virus. That's why the world has found an escape route from hardships to happiness through the Zulu composed song JERUSALEMA which has seen the entire world dancing to its sublime rhythm even without a smidgen understanding of a single word in Zulu language.
Written by Kgaogelo Moagi and her vocalist  counterpart Nomcebo Zikode who also took a center stage in dancing to its tune and rhythm, the song was produced by Kgaogelo Moagi a.k.a. Master KG and was realeased on 29th November 2019 thus my title JERUSALEMA-19. Bearly one year later, the song has garnered 155 million views on YouTube and still counting.
On July 20th this year, the song was released on streaming services after going viral due to a JERUSALEMA CHALLENGE remix released on 19th June this year. Today, the song has been translated to a number of languages internationally which includes; Spanish, Swedish and Dutch among others. It has also reached number one in Belgium and Switzerland while peaking in the top ten of multiple other European countries.
While multiple YouTube videos featuring the song has garnered over 500 million views, the song has gotten every age group dancing to its tune and rhythm. From little kids to teens, young to the old, no one wants to be left behind. People from all walks of life, all professionals from men and women in blue, doctors and nurses, teachers and students, cashiers and shoppers, sick and healthy, drunk and sober, rich and poor.........and the list is endless. This is a song that have incorporated human beings of all walks of life despite their socioeconomic status, rejuvenated the long lost sense of empathy due to covid-19 and in the process, two great things are happening; the world is finding happiness amidst the hardships of covid-19 and God the almighty is being praised by all people despite the faith they profess since Jerusalema is a gospel song. The JERUSALEMA CHALLENGE is a true fulfillment of King Solomon words inked in Psalms 150:6 'Let everything that has breathe praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!'
Thank you madam Lily Kabi for your lesson on how to dance JERUSALEMA.

UBUNTU: THE LONG LOST SPIRIT OF AFRICANISM

There is a centuries old African adage that says; "Mwacha mila ni mutumwa." This translates; Anyone who abandons his or her culture becomes a slave. You can argue otherwise till cows come home but this proverb is inarguably true to this very day and age.
The word UBUNTU comes from the largest enthic group in Africa namely; THE BANTUS. This enthic group spreads from the great forests of Congo through the plateaus and savanna grasslands of East Africa, down to the Limpopo and Victoria falls and further south to the land of tata Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mendela.
In its simplest form,UBUNTU means; I am because we are. However, for those like myself who have never decided to negate our rich African culture, we well understand that the profound phrase of Ubuntu is; 'Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu' which literally means that; a person is a person through other people.
Unfortunately, most of the 21st century people especially the young generation have totally negated their super rich ancestry culture no wonder the present day immortality. In a dire need of seeking to fit in the modern digital world of technology, we have become slaves of technology and our ancestry culture that's loaded with morality is rapidly disappearing by each passing day.
If you are waiting for prophets to deliver the message of disintegration of humanity, you must have missed the memo from philosophers like Albert Einstein who once said; "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction because the world will have a generation of idiots." This prophecy though not from a prophet but from a philosopher is now at hand.
As we continue down the tragic trajectory of humanity disintegration due to vast technology that continues to turn reality into virtual and feelings into fantasy, please let's not get lost of that the spirit of UBUNTU is the only spirit of genuine friendships and longevity relationships that can rekindle the long lost rich culture of togetherness.
Kindly let's slow down on technology which enables us to connect with a thousand virtual friends but not a real genuine physical friend. I am not against technology whatsoever, my urgent concern is the need to strike a balance between virtual and reality.
I am well informed that we won't rekindle the old is gold lifestyle at a glance, nonetheless it's very imperative to understand that time is of essence because we are at the vague of getting obliterated by technology. Citing the words of Margaret Beckett; "Humankind has the science and technology to destroy itself or provide prosperity for all, but while science offers us these opportunities, science won't make that choice for us. Only moral power of the world acting like a community will.",  I don't think it can get more clear than that. ........ the choice is ours.
With those words well encrypted in our finger tips forstering us to reinvigorate the long lost spirit of ubuntu, let's not succumb to the deterrent of the saying; 'Every man for himself and God for us all,' but instead embrace the spirit of brotherhood and live by the wise words of King Solomon inked in Proverbs 17:17 'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.' By so doing, we shall portray the authentic depiction of African congeniality that is deeply inscribed in the spirit of UBUNTU: 'I AM BECAUSE WE ARE.'

SCHOOL OF LIFE

It's through attending numerous academic institutions that I can afford to construct a grammatically correct sentence or so I think. Nonetheless, all I became after years of attending various academic institutions was a literate person who became adept intellectually but totally inept integrity wise.

Even though education is an essential aspect towards acquiring intelligence, it only offers intellectual knowledge while empowerment gives you integrity subjecting you to morality and dexterity which renders you to wisdom and mental freedom. 

I don't have a  smidgen ill motive of   discrediting our academic institutions whatsoever, all that I want to bring to your attention is; since knowledge isn't a virtue, you can't count on it to become a better person or lead a purpose driven life. In other words; KNOWLEDGE IS NOT INDEPENDENT BUT INTERDEPENDENT. You can acquire all the knowledge you want but without wisdom you're life will stagnate. Wisdom begets knowledge but knowledge can never ever beget wisdom. That's why we have learned-fools but not wise-fools. Kindly seek wisdom because; The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame! Proverbs 3:35

It goes without saying that; experience is the best teacher. Although some life experiences are not worth the lesson, thus a dire need to heed to a word of caution, to a larger extent, this adage is inarguably true.

The dreadful life experiences are the so called SCHOOL OF LIFE and all the lessons offered there that will guarentee a successful future if, and only if well understood are appalling.

Nevertheless, the greatest problem that most people face is a short memory span which at times tends to be a selective amnesia. This aspect of forgetting the lesson that a dreadful life experience taught you have not only subjected many people to a state of recurring problems but have also rendered them to a life of mediocrity and affirmed the decades old defination of insanity as, doing the same thing the same way over and over again and expecting different results. 

If there is an area that we as Africans and especially my beloved Kenyans that we have and I am not sure if we shall ever learn from the repeated dreadful life experiences is the issue of voting the same corrupt and unscrupulous politicians in the name of leaders over and over again but expecting different results in their 'leadership.' The fact that they are learned with more degrees than a thermometer dosen't mean that they have a smidgen aspect of wisdom. Leadership starts with wisdom not knowledge. 

Voting these morally decayed politicians times without number proofs that the myriad unbearable inhumanity problems that have continued to permeate our beloved country is a problem of our making. With a bait of handouts amounting to a few shillings, we have continued to sell our votes just like the biblical Esau who traded his birth right with a bowl of lentil soup. 

If anything, our decades reapted mistakes is a genuine prove that; we as a nation that claims to be free aren't close to learning from the ungracious school of life even after increased destitution after every general election.

Although time of learning from the years of dreadful destitution experiences as a result of evil governance which we the citizens are guilty of voting in every five years is long overdue, the fact that we have lost numerous second chances is a clear proof that; "A second chance is only beneficial if your failure was a lesson."