REFLECTIONS- BY CLEMENT ERNESTERICK

I've been thinking since Sunday on quite a number of things ranging from individual issues ascending to globalization/globalism to spirituality, the hallmark of things. It dawned on me that tradition precedes ecclesiology; that Christocentrism is the midpoint, the point of intersection between cataphatic theology and apophatic theology: the bridge between the two extremes, hence immanence of God.

Recently, I attended a burial ceremony of a friend's Dad and I got engrossed into how the program was being run. Analysing each word of testimony, how each individual was given chance, in what order until the microphone landed into the hands of the Chief host Mourner, the bereaved wife. Of course, I was also keen to see where the Church picked it. This is where I learned that God, the ancient of days, indulges in history of his people and comes in at the peak occasion, in the middle, and takes the course on, uninterrupted [to infinity], shaping humanity and all life. 

The tributes began with people beyond coarsing through to the friends of the deceased, coming to friends of the bereaved family, the family: bilateral ancestry, then to the daughters beginning with the last born to the first, then last born son to the first with their wives, and then the wife crowns and the procession to the burial ground, Sheol, the Church summarizing the whole event. This whole incident, solemn but hefty with meaning, illumined a new understanding of the Church, its place in such social construct and the place of tradition, culture and customs. Indeed, there's a place for everything, and everything for its place.  

Another thing, I've been thinking how languages evolve, how humanity evolve and ultimately how at a certain point, a people who have a common origin diverge into speaking different languages unintelligible to another, and accent acquisition and variance in their ranges. Because, I noticed that certain terms are common and have same letter-spelling but pronounced differently. I marveled at the beauty of this grand diversity yet echoed oneness given my internalization and articulation of tongues.

© CLEMENT MWAKA ERNESTERICK 

- Kenya