Using African Proverbs

The other day I read an article that expressed quiet well a fact that I have seen lately in my preaching. Since the book was write and complied by Africans, it helped to reinforce my current views as being not only heading in the right direction, but also good for national believers.

Often I see African missionaries start to compromise, even as I write I think of one that I went to Bible school with. They start making statements like, "My message is not reaching the people, they say we are to foreign!" Which many times is true. But, the new missionary begins to look in the wrong places for help. Instead of taking time to learn the positive sides and deeper things of the culture, they make the early easy decisions. I think many people in our movement would be surprised about the amount of compromise that happens on the African mission field in the name of making thing more local. But most of these ministries are just groups that are controlled and planned by foreign thinking and are covered with a thin layer of local dance and drumming. (I am amazed how often people that I know excuse things because of geographical location). The truth is that the music is the first to change, but after this point the ministry makes no impact in the lives of most people in the group. The unsaved that attend will not complain because their felt needs are being meet.

Here is the article. I hope it is helpful. I wanted to quote a large part of it, because I wanted the reader to hear these truths from another person. I will make a few application points after the quote.

AFRICAN PROVERBS
TONGA PROVERBS FROM MALAWI
David K. Mphande

Joshua N. Kudadjie, Series Editor

General Features of African Proverbs
Much of the language and thought of Africans are expressed in proverbs. In many ways, African traditional proverbs are just like those of the people of other cultures and races. Like others, African proverbs are short sayings which contain the wisdom and experiences of the people of old. Although there are also long proverbs—which look more like short stories or poems—the overwhelming majority of African proverbs are short, pithy statements.

Scope and Content
There are thousands, perhaps millions, of African proverbs. New ones are still composed, and old ones are adapted or given new meanings to suit new situations. Anyone who is ingenious—that is, one who is creative, observant and has the ability to reflect and deduce a moral lesson from common happenings—can compose a proverb.

African proverbs contain observations gathered from common everyday events and experiences concerning the nature, life and behaviour of human beings as well as those of animals, birds, plants, and other natural objects; and even supernatural objects and beings. Some of the proverbial sayings are statements of historical facts about the people, while others contain information about their culture. For instance, the Ewe proverb, “When Nôtsie chief sends you to war, you yourself have to find a way of hiding from your enemies,” tells of events in their history some 600 years ago when many Ewes lost their lives in wars that they fought for the chief of Nôtsie (an ancient walled city situated in present-day Togo). A great number of them express their philosophical thoughts, religious beliefs and values. The Akan proverbial saying that “God pounds fufu for the one-handed person” is a theological statement of their experience of God’s provision, loving kindness and gracious dealings with humankind.

Other proverbs reflect the social structure of traditional African societies. For example, there are proverbs that suggest how to deal with elders, children, a spouse and so on, and there are some which indicate the position and role of various members of the society. The Ga proverb: “When a woman rears a goat, it is a man who slaughters it,” shows the position and role of the woman in Ga traditional society as a subordinate but indispensable companion and partner of the man. Similarly, the Dangme proverb “The stream side drinking gourd does not make one die of thirst” (i.e., it saves one from dying of thirst), shows the importance of women in the created order; for it means that a man who has a wife at home will not die of hunger. At a deeper level, it means that a man finds his complement, his fulfillment in woman, a wife.

A close look at African traditional proverbial sayings shows clearly that the main concerns expressed in the proverbs relate to every aspect of human life. The ultimate purpose of the proverbs is to teach wisdom and moral lessons. Thus they contain, and are used to convey, moral lessons and advice on how to live a good and prosperous life.

The proverbs touch on all conditions of life: wealth and poverty, health and sickness, joy and sorrow; occupations: farming, hunting, fishing, building, trading, and so on; and other kinds of activity: healing, cooking, walking, sleeping, marriage, childbearing, upbringing, etc. There are proverbs which speak about and to all manner of people: kings and citizens, nobles and slaves, women and men, children and adults, apprentices and master craftsmen, and so on.

African proverbs contain observations and good counsel against undesirable vices like anger, backbiting, greed, ingratitude, laziness, lying, pride, procrastination, selfishness, stealing and so forth. The Ugandan proverb, “Anger killed a mother cow,” warns against anger, while the South African proverb, “Horns which are put on do not stick properly,” condemns hypocrisy and arrogance. Many other proverbs also praise and advise people to cultivate virtues that promote progress and ensure well-being; as for instance, circumspection, co-operation, gratitude, humility, patience, perseverance, prudence, respect and unity. The Igbo proverbs, “The palm wine tapper does not say everything he sees from the top of the palm tree,” and “If the mouth says the head should be beheaded, when it is beheaded, the mouth follows it,” both teach prudence and the need not to speak just anyhow or say everything one sees or knows.

Context and Use
In traditional African society, one can hardly hear anyone speak a few sentences without citing a proverb. For the initiated, the citing of proverbs comes naturally without any conscious or special effort. This is as true during ordinary conversation as during formal and solemn discourse. However, proverbs tend to be more purposely cited during serious or formal discourse, such as during proceedings of the council of elders, a chief’s court, an arbitration, family meetings, or during exhortations on how to live a morally good life.

A cursory examination may suggest that some proverbs contradict others. For example, some proverbs counsel self-reliance, while others counsel community effort. The truth, however, is that in their own contexts and particular situations, each is apt. In real life situations, too, there are paradoxes and apparent contradictions. For instance, in certain situations, the best thing to do is to be silent, while in others, speaking out is the wise thing to do. Thus, although silence and speaking out may appear conflicting when put together, in the appropriate contexts, each is positive. It is no wonder, then, that since proverbs relate to real life situations, they sometimes seem to conflict with each other; but they are only apparent and not real contradictions. This fact underscores the need to use proverbs in the right context and appropriate situation.

It is also important to note that one proverb can have several meanings and can, therefore, be applied to different situations. For instance, the Ga proverb, “If you want to send a message to God, tell it to the wind,” can be used in different situations: to teach that God is everywhere; to teach one the correct Ga procedure that if you want to see the chief, you must first see the linguist; or to advise that if you have a bothersome matter that you cannot speak out, you have to tell it to those who can pass it on.

On the other hand, in some cases, many different proverbs teach the same moral lesson, and can, thus, be used for emphasis. The Ga people say: “A kitchen that leaks (or a shed in ruins) is better than a thicket.” The Ewe have a proverb which says, “Even a good-for-nothing fellow can carry a pot of palm wine to the funeral.” The Dangme say: “Mud-water also can be used to quench fire.” All these proverbs teach the same moral lesson, namely, that every person is of some use; therefore, everyone should be given
due regard, and people should have a sense of their own worth and be contented with what they are.

African proverbs can be used for several purposes. They can be used for the linguistic analysis of a particular language or dialect. Historical information as well as the thought, customs, beliefs and values of a society can also be obtained through their proverbs. Besides, African proverbs are a literary device used to embellish speech. This is because many of the idioms of an African language are embedded in its proverbs. As it were, African proverbs are used as sweeteners to communicate effectively. As one Ga writer (E.A. Nee-Adjabeng Ankra) put it, speaking without citing proverbs is like eating soup that has no salt in it. Proverbs are cited to confirm, reinforce or modify a statement; or to heighten and attract attention to a point or message; or simply to summarize a speech. Sometimes, too, they are used to communicate a fact or opinion which it might be impolite or even offensive to state in direct speech or plain language. They are also used to make people appreciate speech, or facilitate understanding, and lead to conviction. As one Yoruba observation has it: “ A proverb is the horse which can carry one swiftly to the discovery of ideas.”

Although all these uses are important, they are, in fact, means to an end. The ultimate purpose of proverbs is to impart wisdom; teach good moral and social values; warn against foolish acts; provide a guide to good conduct; and to influence people’s conduct and help them to succeed in life.

African Proverbs and the Mission of the Church

African proverbs can be extremely useful and effective for all these purposes, particularly as a tool for teaching moral and social values, and how to conduct oneself successfully in the business of life. They are short and not easily forgettable. They are also popular for their humour. Moreover, they provoke vivid images in the mind, such that things that are otherwise abstract and difficult to grasp become relatively easy to understand.

Proverbs have the power to change people’s conduct, because the truths portrayed in them are so plain and unchallengeable that those who understand the morals and advice they contain, feel compelled to conduct their lives in the manner prescribed in the proverbs by the wise elders of old.

It cannot be doubted that desiring to live the good life is not enough, for one can know and even will to do good, and still be unable to do it (see Romans 7:14-25). It is those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit in them who have power to do the good. Yet, it is important to note that Jesus Christ who brought this new power to work from within a person, himself also used the method of influencing people from the outside by appealing to their minds and hearts through teaching. In doing this, he used stories and proverbial sayings. There can be no doubt, then, that the present-day Church may attain its goal (which is to make all peoples the followers of Christ and teach them to obey what he has commanded), if it encourages the proper use of proverbial sayings. In using these indigenous proverbial sayings, however, the Church must correct and replace what is not so good in them, and add on from the Scriptures what is more excellent.

At this point in Africa’s history when there are cries everywhere for moral and social reform, the use of proverbs in moral education is urgent. The many positive features of African proverbs, such as those cited above, make them most invaluable and unavoidable as instruments of teaching. The Church which has always been interested in people living the morally good life, must use African proverbs even more earnestly, especially in preaching and teaching. Their use will help immensely to teach the truths of many biblical themes and stories, and to affect the moral, social and spiritual lives of the people for the better; for when a proverb is used correctly, it speaks to the intellect, the soul and the heart—that is, to the understanding, the feelings and the will. Over the centuries, African proverbs have successfully done this. They can, thus, be used to great advantage in Christian preaching and teaching.

I realized while reading this that this is why many of the teachings of Christianity have not taken root in believers lives in American and Africa. Though in America we do not classify our teaching in proverb form, teaching that changes lives still follows the practical reasoning behind proverbs.

I have come to see that most Christians that live out their lives in a practical, real, daily way, have been thought how to put the truths of the Bible in bite sized pieces that they use in their everyday lives. If you ask them why they do or do not do something, and it is really not just because they are copying something they do not understand, they will give you a short principle, truth, or command from the Bible that has guided them in this choice. (i.e. - why I should not smoke? My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I should take care of it, so on and so forth).

But what hit me while reading this article was that along the line in Africa, we missionaries have failed to give the local people Christian proverbs (thoughts, principles, teachings) to guide their lives by. Things have been presented in such a scientific or foreign way, that it has been hard for most of the people to have maxims to live by.

For example my wife visited another national lady a while back. Her husband runs a large national Fundamental Baptist church and trains pastors. While visiting the wife, they went over to the church to see the new building that the church had built. There in the building was the notes from Sunday school. The black board had not been erased. (These lady is constantly telling my wife tha thte people do not understand the teaching and are not changing).

The board was full of Bible college notes. Line by line of college theory. (To be honest, my wife and I have trouble understanding that stuff). That was his lessons. See most people teach how they were thought! The reader might say that that is just one example and should not be sited as proof, but I have seen that same thing happen with other nationals trained by totally different missionaries.

The point is this... if we are going to teach Christianity in a way that will touch and change the average Africans life: socially, culturally, spiritually, then we will have to use the medium that has been set and used for ages to do this very thing: THE AFRICAN PROVERB.

As the missionary strives to learn the language and teaching styles of the people he is working with, one thing will come back again and again. If he will have to use Proverbs: new, old, or inspired (The ones in the Bible) If he does he will find that the teaching will move from simply being something for Sunday to something that can been applied by all the believers.