Rafiki Quotes

Ah, yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it...or learn from it.

Oh yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it or learn from it.

The children in my dreams speak in Gujarati turn their trusting faces to the sun say to me care for us nurture us in my dreams I shudder and I run. I am six in a playground of white children Darkie, sing us an Indian song! Eight in a roomful of elders all mock my broken Gujarati English girl! Twelve, I tunnel into books forge an armor of English words. Eighteen, shaved head combat boots - shamed by masis in white saris neon judgments singe my western head. Mother tongue. Matrubhasha tongue of the mother I murder in myself. Through the years I watch Gujarati swell the swaggering egos of men mirror them over and over at twice their natural size. Through the years I watch Gujarati dissolve bones and teeth of women, break them on anvils of duty and service, burn them to skeletal ash. Words that don't exist in Gujarati : Self-expression. Individual. Lesbian. English rises in my throat rapier flashed at yuppie boys who claim their people “civilized” mine. Thunderbolt hurled at cab drivers yelling Dirty black bastard! Force-field against teenage hoods hissing F****ing Paki bitch! Their tongue - or mine? Have I become the enemy? Listen: my father speaks Urdu language of dancing peacocks rosewater fountains even its curses are beautiful. He speaks Hindi suave and melodic earthy Punjabi salty rich as saag paneer coastal Kiswahili laced with Arabic, he speaks Gujarati solid ancestral pride. Five languages five different worlds yet English shrinks him down before white men who think their flat cold spiky words make the only reality. Words that don't exist in English: Najjar Garba Arati. If we cannot name it does it exist? When we lose language does culture die? What happens to a tongue of milk-heavy cows, earthen pots jingling anklets, temple bells, when its children grow up in Silicon Valley to become programmers? Then there's American: Kin'uh get some service? Dontcha have ice? Not: May I have please? Ben, mane madhath karso? Tafadhali nipe rafiki Donnez-moi, s'il vous plait Puedo tener….. Hello, I said can I get some service?! Like, where's the line for Ay-mericans in this goddamn airport? Words that atomized two hundred thousand Iraqis: Didja see how we kicked some major ass in the Gulf? Lit up Bagdad like the fourth a' July! Whupped those sand-niggers into a parking lot! The children in my dreams speak in Gujarati bright as butter succulent cherries sounds I can paint on the air with my breath dance through like a Sufi mystic words I can weep and howl and devour words I can kiss and taste and dream this tongue I take back.

Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it

Kamera ina athari kubwa sana katika maisha yetu. Inaweza kuharibu taswira ya mtu mbele ya jamii, na inaweza kuharibu maisha ya mtu hali kadhalika. Wasanii wakubwa duniani hawatoki ndani bila ya kuwa nadhifu au bila ya kujipodoa. Kwa nini? Kwa sababu ya wasanii wao wa vipodozi. Wasanii wao wa vipodozi hawataki waajiri wao wawe na taswira mbaya mbele ya wateja wao ambayo ni jamii. Kuwa na taswira mbaya mbele ya jamii kunaweza kusababisha wao (wasanii wa vipodozi) pamoja na waajiri wao, wasiishi vizuri hapa duniani kama wanavyotaka. Kioo ni kitu au mtu. Kama huna uwezo wa kumiliki vipodozi, miliki kioo. Kama huna uwezo wa kumiliki kioo, miliki rafiki. Kioo (hasa kitu) hakina unafiki. Usitoke ndani bila kuridhika na taswira yako.

Taabini hii ni ngumu sana kwangu kuandika pamoja na kwamba ni miaka mitatu kamili toka giza liingie. Mwaka 2014, Novemba 4, nilimpoteza bibi yangu mpendwa, Martha Maregesi, aliyefariki dunia kutokana na ukongo wa kiharusi, na tutamkumbuka daima. Alikuwa na roho ya kipekee; na kifo chake kiliwagusa wengi, pamoja na kwamba aliishi maisha kamili, zaidi ya siku 25550, siku 5110 zaidi, ambazo ndizo tulizopangiwa na Mungu. Mapenzi ya mtu kwa bibi yake ni mapenzi ya kipekee. Nadhani Mungu aliwapa mabibi wote uwezo maalumu wa kuwapenda wajukuu zao, na kufanya maisha yao yatimie, kuwafanya wawe binadamu wazuri na wenye maadili mema. Alichangia pakubwa katika malezi yangu ya utotoni; na aghalabu naweza kukumbuka nikiwa naye jikoni akipika, huku mimi nikifanya kazi nyingine, lakini wakati huohuo akinifundisha mambo kadha wa kadha ya kunikomaza kimaisha. Bibi hakuwa tu bibi. Alikuwa mlezi, rafiki na mtu aliyenihamasisha sana katika maisha. Kifo kinaleta huzuni lakini kinaleta tumaini. Naamini bibi yangu atakwenda mbinguni, kwa sababu naamini alitubu dhambi zake akisaidiwa na wachungaji. Wachungaji hao walimtembelea kila siku, nyumbani au hospitalini, akiwa kitandani kwake akiugua. Bibi yangu alitimiza wajibu wake. Alizaliwa, aliishi, na alikufa katika toba. Siku nitakapokufa ningependa kuzikwa jirani na alipozikwa bibi yangu, ili Yesu atakaporudi tufufuke pamoja.

think at times our situation could be compared to that of Simba in The Lion King. Simba is turned around by a lion in his life—his uncle Scar. Though he was the prince, he ends up running away. He is supposed to fight his evil uncle Scar and take his rightful place as the king, but he backs off from the confrontation. It is not long before he forgets that he was ever a king, a prince or even a lion. His friends offer little help because they are not lions. His identity is lost. The one person who is able to help him is Rafiki. Rafiki’s message to Simba is simple. He explains that Simba does not know who he is anymore, but that his father is alive in him. At first Simba does not believe this is possible. Then his dad appears to him in a vision and tells Simba, “You are MY son, and the one true king.” What an affirmation. As a result, Simba knows what he must do. He knows he must go home and fight the giant before him. He was meant to be the king. Before this though, his father tells him something that has never left me. He tells Simba, “You are more than what you have become.” In the same way, we are more than what we have become. Many of God’s people have forgotten who they are. We have forgotten that we are children of the Living God, and sons and daughters of The King. We fail to see our inheritance, which was provided through the cross. We have settled for a life that was never meant for us. The lions, Goliaths, and foreign armies have been our stopping point. And the lies of the enemy have defined us. There is a greater measure of Christ to be attained as we awaken to the voice of the Father. It is only the voice of the Father that will restore our identity. It will not be found anywhere else. Even Jesus is affirmed by His Father at His baptism: “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Our identity, like Simba’s, must be found in the Father. We are indeed more than what we have become. As we learn from David’s life and the lives of others, let us submit ourselves to the Father. Let us allow Him to re-envision us, so that we hear who we really are. Let us allow God to bring us into a place of worship and trust. In submission to Him, let us become a stone in His hands—a priesthood equipped to do His Will and to establish His kingdom. There is victory in that place!

Kolonia Santita imesambaa dunia nzima. Hapa Meksiko wana magenge rafiki zaidi ya mia moja yakiwemo makubwa kabisa katika Latino ya Matamolos na Baja California. Nikitekwa nyara na memba yoyote wa magenge hayo, kuna uwezekano mkubwa wasinifanye chochote au nisilipe chochote kwa sababu ya Wanda. Fadhila ya uhalifu. Kwa sababu ya fadhila ya uhalifu; baba, au viongozi wengine wa serikali ambao watoto wao wamo ndani ya 'mpango' huo, wanatakiwa wawakingie kifua (kwa namna yoyote wanayoweza) pindi wanapoanguka katika mikono ya dola na sheria. Wasipofanya hivyo kutakuwa na vita ya ndani kwa ndani … kama unanielewa. Hivyo, kuna mtu anaitwa El Tigre – baba yake Wanda – ndiye ninayetaka unisaidie. Amemuua Marciano, na watu wengi wa Meksiko. Nataka kumlipia kisasi Marciano, na marafiki zangu wengi ambao El Tigre amewaua, hata kwa njia isiyodhahiri.

Ofisi si rafiki wa familia.

Vita ya Shetani na Mungu inatuathiri zaidi sisi wanadamu – na hapo baadaye itamuathiri Shetani pia. Vita hii haiwezi kuisha hadi siku ya mwisho, Yesu Kristo atakaporudi kuwachukua wateule wake. Pambana kwa njia ya maombi hadi siku ya mwisho kwa sababu adui tunayepambana naye hana muda wa kupumzika. Pambana kujiombea na kuwaombea wengine waliohai, na hata wale ambao bado hawajazaliwa, kabla mafuta ya dunia hii hayajalipuka. Usiishi kama adui wa msalaba wa Yesu Kristo, badala yake, ishi kama rafiki wa msalaba wa Yesu Kristo. Kuishi kama rafiki wa msalaba wa Yesu Kristo ni kupinga majivuno yote ya Shetani kwa upendo uliotukuka wa kujishusha au kujidharirisha, kutokutetereka hata kidogo na tamaa za ulimwengu huu kwa upendo mkubwa wa umaskini, na kutokuyumba wakati wa matatizo kwa sababu wakati wa amani ulijilimbikizia imani.

The web is a big, scary place, and everyone seems bigger, louder, smarter. But then, you hear old Rafiki, the wise mandrill, muttering that 'Content is King' mantra

Marafiki wanaweza kukupotosha bila wao wenyewe kujua na bila kuwa na nia mbaya ya aina yoyote ile; na wanaweza kuwa washauri wazuri kwa sababu wanakujua vizuri unapokuwa na huzuni, na wanakujua vizuri unapokuwa na furaha pia. Kwa mfano; rafiki yako anaweza kukushauri kusomea uhasibu wakati Mungu amekupangia utawala, au anaweza kujua aongee na wewe wakati gani kulingana na tabia yako ya kubadilikabadilika. Maadui wanasaidia kujua kipaji ulichopewa na Mungu – ukifanya kitu ambacho si cha kawaida katika maisha yako halafu ukawa na maadui ujue hicho ndicho Mungu alichokupangia kufanya, hivyo usikate tamaa – na mashabiki wanasaidia kufanya kipaji chako kiwe na uhai.

I take to slummy bars and sheisty gambling halls like a proud lion to the rolling grassy plains of the savannah. Well acquainted, am I, with the various beasts of the beer-tavern. The cackling hyena pool players—scavengers, lurking in the shadows, waiting to prey upon the unwary sucker. The sports-betting meerkat folk who poke heads out of their beer mug homes only long enough to check scores, before ducking back down in a bid to avoid the larger predators. The aloof but noble baboon bartender, dispensing suds and barroom wisdom in equal portions—kind of like Rafiki from the Lion King, sans the beer thing.

Unabii ni uwezo alionao mtu wa kuongea mambo matakatifu ya Mungu, kuwaongoza wenzake katika njia njema. Mungu humwambia nabii kitu cha kusema na nabii huwambia wenzake kile ambacho Mungu amemwambia aseme. Mungu hawezi kuongea na watu mpaka watu wajue jinsi ya kuongea naye, na wakati mwingine ni rahisi sana kusikia ujumbe kutoka kwa mtu kuliko kuusikia ujumbe huo moja kwa moja kutoka kwa Mungu. Mungu anaweza kukwambia useme kitu fulani kwa mtu au watu fulani. Unaweza usijue kwa nini anakwambia ufanye hivyo, lakini utajisikia msukumo wa hali ya juu wa kutangaza ujumbe uliopewa kuuwasilisha. Mungu hatakulazimisha, lakini atakung’ang’aniza, na ni Mungu pekee anayejua lengo la mawasiliano hayo. Mungu akikwambia ufanye kitu fanya mara moja, usiulize kwa nini. Kazi yako ni kufanya unachotakiwa kufanya, kusema unachotakiwa kusema, si kuuliza maswali. Mtumie rafiki yako wa kiroho kukuongoza katika mema na mabaya, na usitambe – kwamba unaongea maneno uliyoambiwa na Mungu uyaongee. Ukiwa na uwezo mkubwa wa kuongea na Mungu utaleta mabadiliko katika dunia.

Siku moja, jambo baya litatokea. Labda babu yako au mnyama wako kipenzi atafariki au shangazi yako atagundulika na kansa. Labda utafukuzwa kazi au utaachika kwa mumeo au mkeo mliyependana sana. Labda rafiki yako kipenzi atapata ajali mbaya ya gari na utatakiwa kupeleka taarifa kwa ndugu na marafiki zake. Kutoa taarifa ya jambo baya kwa mtu ni kazi ngumu sawa na kupokea taarifa ya jambo baya kutoka kwa mtu. Kama umeteuliwa kupeleka taarifa ya kifo au ya jambo lolote baya kwa mtu fanya hivyo kwa makini. Toa taarifa ya msiba au ya jambo lolote baya kwa hekima na busara kama Ibrahimu alivyofanya kwa Sara kuhusiana na kafara ya Isaka, si kama Mbenyamini alivyofanya kwa Eli kuhusiana na kutwaliwa kwa sanduku la agano na kuuwawa kwa watoto wake wawili. Jidhibiti kwanza wewe mwenyewe kama umeteuliwa kupeleka taarifa ya kifo au ya jambo lolote baya. Angalia kama wewe ni mtu sahihi wa kupeleka taarifa hiyo. Pangilia mawazo ya kile unachotaka kwenda kukisema au unachotaka kwenda kukiandika. Mwangalie machoni, si usoni, yule unayempelekea taarifa kisha mwambie kwa sauti ya upole nini kimetokea.

Wanasayansi wana uwezo wa kupeleleza hadi kipindi cha karne ya kwanza ambapo Yesu aliishi, alikufa, alifufuka na alipaa kwenda mbinguni, na wana uwezo wa kujua mambo mengi kwa hakika yaliyofanyika katika kipindi hicho na hata katika kipindi cha kabla ya hapo. Kuna miujiza ambayo Yesu aliifanya ambayo haiko ndani ya Biblia. Kwa mfano, Biblia inasema Yesu alizaliwa ndani ya zizi la ng’ombe wakati sayansi inasema alizaliwa nje ya zizi la ng’ombe; na muujiza wa kwanza kuufanya ambao hauko ndani ya Biblia ni kutembea mara tu baada ya kuzaliwa, na watu na ndege wa angani kuganda kabla ya kuzaliwa Masihi na kabla ya wakunga kufika kumsaidia Maria Magdalena kujifungua. Akiwa na umri wa miaka sita, sayansi inasema, Yesu alikuwa akicheza na mtoto mwenzake juu ya paa la nyumba ya jirani na mara Yesu akamsukuma mwenzake kutoka juu hadi chini na mwenzake huyo akafariki papo hapo. Watu walipomsonga sana Yesu kwa kumtuhumu kuwa yeye ndiye aliyesababisha kifo cha mwenzake, na kwamba wangemfungulia mashtaka, Yesu alikataa katakata kuhusika na kifo hicho. Lakini walipozidi kumsonga, aliusogelea mwili wa rafiki yake kisha akamwita na kumwambia asimame. Yule mtoto alisimama! Huo ukawa muujiza mkubwa wa kwanza wa Yesu Kristo, kufufua mtu nje ya maandiko matakatifu. Kuna mifano mingi inayodhihirisha uwepo wa Mungu ambayo wanasayansi hawawezi hata kuipatia majibu. Tukio la Yoshua kusimamisha jua limewashangaza wanasayansi hadi nyakati za leo. Mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 70 wanasayansi walijaribu kurudisha muda nyuma kwa kompyuta kuona kama kweli wangekuta takribani siku moja imepotea kama ilivyorekodiwa katika Biblia. Cha kushangaza, cha kushangaza mno, walikuta saa 23 na dakika 20 zimepotea katika mazingira ambayo hawakuweza na hawataweza kuyaelewa. Walipochunguza vizuri walikuta ni kipindi cha miaka ya 1500 KK (Jumanne tarehe 22 Julai) ambacho ndicho tukio la Yoshua la kusimamisha jua na kusogeza mwezi nyuma digrii 10, ambazo ni sawa na mzunguko wa dakika 40, lilipotokea. Kwa kutumia elimu ya wendo, elimu ya kupanga miaka na matukio ya Kibiblia, dunia iliumbwa Jumapili tarehe 22 Septemba mwaka 4000 KK. Hata hivyo, mahesabu ya kalenda yanaonyesha kuwa Septemba 22 ilikuwa Jumatatu (si Jumapili) na kwamba kosa hilo labda lilisababishwa na siku ya Yoshua iliyopotea. Hayo yote ni kwa mujibu wa Profesa C. A. Totten, wa Chuo Kikuu cha Yale, katika kitabu chake cha ‘Joshua’s Long Day and the Dial of Ahaz: A Scientific Vindication and a Midnight Cry’ kilichochapishwa mwaka 1890. Kama hakuna Mungu iliwezekanaje Yoshua aombe jua lisimame na jua likasimama kweli? Iliwezekanaje Yesu aseme atakufa, atafufuka na atapaa kwenda mbinguni na kweli ikatokea kama alivyosema? Ndani ya Biblia kuna tabiri 333 zilizotabiri maisha yote ya Yesu Kristo hapa duniani na zote zilitimia – bila kupungua hata moja. Utasemaje hapo hakuna Mungu? Mungu yupo, naamini, sijui. Tukio la Yesu kufa, kufufuka na kupaa kwenda mbinguni si la vitabu vitakatifu pekee, hata sayansi inakubaliana na hilo.

Adui wa msalaba ni yule anayeipenda dunia badala ya Mungu, na rafiki wa msalaba ni yule anayempenda Mungu badala ya dunia.

sound of Rafiki’s

Mwenye dhambi ndiye rafiki.

Ukimpigia mtu kura kwa sababu za kishabiki, kikabila, kidini, kirafiki au rushwa, umeshindwa kuongea na nchi yako kama inavyopaswa, umeshindwa kuwa mzalendo wa kweli, usimlalamikie yule aliyechaguliwa.

Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.

Leap to conclusions and you leap to confusions.