Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-18

Editorial/Column
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No One Knows For Sure
f you asked the average per-
son to name the most com- mon ways people die, he or she would probably mention things like heart attacks, cancer, strokes or car accidents. Being killed for not minding your own business, more than likely, wouldn't come up in the conver- sation.
Sadly, though, that's exactly how John Allen Chau, a 26- year-old self-proclaimed church missionary, who met his demise 6 days ago.... He went out of his way to involve himself in the lives of individuals who didn't want to be bothered.
When Chau attempted to take his Bible teachings to the people of North Sentinel Island off the coast of India, a place where the inhabitants have lived for 30,000 years and who haven't had contact with the rest of the world in over 25 years, the island natives greeted his intru- sion into their isolated sanctity by shooting several arrows through his chest.
His life was cut drastically short because his arrogance led him to assume that the people, who he viewed as woefully prim- itive, were in desperate need of whatever he had to give.
As news of Chau's death spread throughout international
media outlets, some began to refer to him as a martyr for Christianity; a person who sac- rificed his own existence for the sake of his beliefs.
As much as that narrative may sound good in a Sunday morning sermon, the truth is that, he wasn't killed because of his faith. He was simply a victim of a dogma that tricked him into believing that his faith was, somehow, superior to that of the people he was attempting to reach. Had he not harbored the notion that it was his duty to make everyone worship the God he claimed to serve, he would still be alive today.
Of course, Chau's way of thinking wasn't anything new. Part of the reason why 33% of the planet's population is Chris- tian, and another 23% Muslim, is because the architects of those popular religious spiritualities circumnavigated the globe in an effort to convert, so-called, non- believers in much the same fash- ion. The only difference between them and Chau is that the mis- sionaries on those expeditions were accompanied by armed crusaders who weren't taking no for an answer.
As callous and as controver- sial as it may sound, the first thing that crossed my mind
when I heard about Chau's misfortune was how much dif- ferent things may have turned out had the indigenous tribes of Africa and the America's en- gaged the first European and Asian foreigners, who invaded their lands 800 and 1,200 years ago respectively, with the same level of lethal aggression?
I imagine that, if they had, this column wouldn't be written in English, the West-African spirituality of Ifa wouldn't have been denigrated to a second- rate religion and an advanced African society, similar to the fictional Wakanda, may have ac- tually been able to develop and exist on a scale far larger than a movie screen.
While it's sad that Chau lost his life so tragically, I think it's even sadder that he had to learn the hard way that sometimes it's best to allow others to follow their own paths. Though their truth may not match our own, it's ultimately each person's choice to decide which route to spiritual enlightenment works best for them.
In the end no one really knows who's right or who's wrong. All we can truly hope for is that whatever road we choose leads us to a hereafter far, far greater than our here and now.
And, with that being the case, it makes you wonder how wise it is for any one of us to at- tempt to save someone else's soul when our very own could be in grave jeopardy?
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail.com.
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Senator Cindy Hyde- Smith And Mississippi
ina Simone wrote and recorded it, riding it to be-
come an underground record favorite. It went, “Alabama’s got me so upset. Tennessee made me lose my rest. But everybody knows about Mississippi god- d...m!”
What? You haven’t heard it? Well, you can bet your life current incumbent Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has heard it.
In a neck-and-neck race for her political life with a steadily advancing Black opponent, and hoping to off- set an off-handed comment she made supposedly jok- ing about finding no robbery in attending a public hanging (by the way, is “public hanging” the same as “public lynching?”), you can bet your life Smith rues the day she ever heard Nina Simone’s haunting and ac- cusatory ditty.
But what does one expect from a politician who leaps for photo-ops with a Confederate flag? What does one expect from a Mississippi Deep South culture that’s once bragged about having lynched more Black people than any other state in the union?
But something strange has happened. When Cindy Hyde-Smith playfully quipped about going to a local lynching, she woke up the spirits of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, as well as the ghosts of Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman, all murdered in Mississippi. And as they rise, they demand the right to vote.
But there’s one more member of the undead who haunts Cindy Smith’s dreams of reelection. Dark- brown, wire-tin, with a voice like a songful Sojourner Truth, Nina Simone hums behind Hyde-Smith until Si- mone gets to the refrain of her melody. Then with voice soaring, she screams, “Everybody knows about Missis- sippi god-d ... m!”
Intentionally Grateful
mpowered Greetings.
To do something inten- tionally means that it's done on purpose. To be grateful is to be deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received. When we are intentionally grateful is not about the words that flow out of our mouth but the emotions that flow from our heart.
Although we are in the sea- son of Thanksgiving, we should practice being grateful on a daily basis. Each day's journey deliv- ers something for us to pay homage to. People walk in and out of our lives on every day. Some make such an impact on us, that our way of thinking and being will positively be changed forever.
These are the people we must be intentionally grateful toward by letting them know the contributions they have made in our lives. There's nothing but good that comes from our ex- pressions of acknowledgement. Not only do we feel good, but so
does the person receiving our acts or words of recognition.
Scientific studies show that the more grateful you are the happier and more optimistic you are. Who doesn't want to be happy? In addition to living a happier life, here are a few more benefits of being intentionally grateful.
Intentional Gratitude helps you attract more suc- cess
Whatever you think or focus on is what will be formed in your life. You will attract more of what you are grateful for in your life when what you are grateful for is consciously at the fore- front of your mind. The more you are aware of your blessings, the more blessings you'll receive to be aware of.
Intentional Gratitude increases our likeability
When you are appreciative of people, people are genuinely nicer and trusting of you. As you are intentionally looking for acts
to be appreciative of from oth- ers, it gets your mind off of you an onto them. In return when you share your gratitude for them, they are grateful for you. This results in you attracting more people into your circle of friends or acquaintances. Your likeability leads to more mean- ingful personal and business re- lationships being forged.
Intentional Gratitude increases your self-esteem and confidence levels.
Intentional gratitude allows you to be mentally strong and have a positive perspective on life. You don't see yourself as de- feated but as a conqueror be- cause you don't concentrate on your losses. You celebrate your wins.
From this day forward, vow to have an attitude of gratitude. When you get up in the morning give thanks. As you go through- out your day, show gratitude to those around you. At the end of your day take note of the things you are grateful for that tran- spired throughout your day.
To invite Selphenia to speak or train at your upcoming event call (813) 603-0088.
Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: Selphe- nia; and Twitter: queenod- success1.
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