Building Real Orisa Community

We all love the idea of being part of a community. But very, very, very few of us actually grew up in a real African centered community. Even fewer have chosen to become truly absorbed into such a community. Allow me to define community by what it is not. Community is not wearing the same style fashion, dancing the same way or even living in the same area. A community overlaps itself through millions of invisible pathways that create interdependence between the members. In a community, people need one another, the land and the rules that protect the human and natural resources. When you want to really join a community then, it requires sacrifice, compromise and change.

What I see today among folks who worship Orisa is a lot of confusion, pretense and denial. That is, the majority like to talk nostalgically and lovingly about family, community, culture and tradition, but utterly refuse to do even the small things that would make that happen. And so, superficiality and shallowness rule the day. But there remains a loud minority, who have vision and determination. They will not accept half measures and surface change. They will not stop until they bring about the Good Condition! 

Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com
 

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