The Mystery of the Tennis Racket
four minutes read
Two weeks going, events took me to the tennis court. I don't play tennis but a senior friend took me to Adekunle Ajasin University Tennis Court after a strategy development meeting. Following that, I accompanied my gospel trainer to the court in Akure Stadium.
In these two instances, I didn't do more than sit at the platform and observe. And as it was my nature, drift into the thought realm. The design of the rackets caught my attention, so did the tennis court structures, the cross net and of course the ever bouncing soft balls. How were these things made? Who first made them? How easy are they to make? Can I make them myself? My questions rolled on and on.
The intrigue made me think about the sport shoes - the softness, the strength, the traction, and function. Then on and on to other technology - my phone, the car, bridges, and others. Then I remembered genomics and molecular biology, the computers, communication technology and the whole lot of things that define life in the twenty first century civilization. In it all, I recognized a superior intelligence than my First Class degree. The Tennis racket was leading me into the deeper mystery of the history of technology and to a review of some personal assumptions.
My One Time Resolve
I had made a subliminal resolve to find and develop an African technology: to create an indigenous technology without going to the White man's country. I theorized that we (Africans) have too depended on the western world. That we had an equally amazing brain and so do not have to go to them and gain an education.
So I resolved I was going to do all my schooling in Africa (Nigeria) to prove that we don't need to go to the White Man's soil before we gain wisdom and create.
The Tennis Racket Revelation
The tennis racket effect, coupled with my recent experiences scouring Ondo State and eastern Nigeria pushed my thoughts to a convergence - Just as the Gospel of Christ, so is technology and applied knowledge. We gained the gospel by reaching out to its origin, we will gain technology by reaching out to its origin too.
Equity God, Not Equality God
We have to accept that God did not distribute resources equally among the nations (physical and human). God does equity but not equality. He distributes as He wishes not as we may want Him to ; He is the grand commander. He does not deal equally with nations - how do we explain the choice of the Jew nation from among the entire world. He doesn't do equality - He does as He sees fit.
So as God has committed the Knowledge of Himself to originate from the Jews, He has committed the fullness of human creation to the white man. And as we had to gain the revelation of Himself from the Jews, we have to gain entry into technology from the white man. That's the unfair truth. I and the rest of my African brothers have to submit to the white man to learn technology - that's God's ordinance. After all, "Who can have a thing if The Lord has not given him".
The White Man's Signature
I observed the cars I rode in, the Tennis court we play in, the game gears we use, the bread we eat, the shoes I wear, the smart phone I type on, the books that thrill me, the blog posts that edify me, the internet I reach my love from; and I see the white man's signature on all of it.
To refuse to go the white man is to return to be like my towns men who hawk bread at FUTA north gate. It is to be in the ranks of my cousin who I can't even explain basic things to, it is to rescind to the hoe and the cutlass.
The New Embrace
It became imperative that I (and we) should make a real effort to learn from the men that have this knowledge. We could then hope that God grants us skill to further develop that which we gain. Just as we have done with the gospel of Christ.
I make a shout out to my colleagues who had recognized this before now and had been in pursuit of the white knowledge. Ade, Lance, Obu, Akintokun, Eunice, and others.
Chinedu, February 2019.
Two weeks going, events took me to the tennis court. I don't play tennis but a senior friend took me to Adekunle Ajasin University Tennis Court after a strategy development meeting. Following that, I accompanied my gospel trainer to the court in Akure Stadium.
In these two instances, I didn't do more than sit at the platform and observe. And as it was my nature, drift into the thought realm. The design of the rackets caught my attention, so did the tennis court structures, the cross net and of course the ever bouncing soft balls. How were these things made? Who first made them? How easy are they to make? Can I make them myself? My questions rolled on and on.
The intrigue made me think about the sport shoes - the softness, the strength, the traction, and function. Then on and on to other technology - my phone, the car, bridges, and others. Then I remembered genomics and molecular biology, the computers, communication technology and the whole lot of things that define life in the twenty first century civilization. In it all, I recognized a superior intelligence than my First Class degree. The Tennis racket was leading me into the deeper mystery of the history of technology and to a review of some personal assumptions.
My One Time Resolve
I had made a subliminal resolve to find and develop an African technology: to create an indigenous technology without going to the White man's country. I theorized that we (Africans) have too depended on the western world. That we had an equally amazing brain and so do not have to go to them and gain an education.
So I resolved I was going to do all my schooling in Africa (Nigeria) to prove that we don't need to go to the White Man's soil before we gain wisdom and create.
The Tennis Racket Revelation
The tennis racket effect, coupled with my recent experiences scouring Ondo State and eastern Nigeria pushed my thoughts to a convergence - Just as the Gospel of Christ, so is technology and applied knowledge. We gained the gospel by reaching out to its origin, we will gain technology by reaching out to its origin too.
Equity God, Not Equality God
We have to accept that God did not distribute resources equally among the nations (physical and human). God does equity but not equality. He distributes as He wishes not as we may want Him to ; He is the grand commander. He does not deal equally with nations - how do we explain the choice of the Jew nation from among the entire world. He doesn't do equality - He does as He sees fit.
So as God has committed the Knowledge of Himself to originate from the Jews, He has committed the fullness of human creation to the white man. And as we had to gain the revelation of Himself from the Jews, we have to gain entry into technology from the white man. That's the unfair truth. I and the rest of my African brothers have to submit to the white man to learn technology - that's God's ordinance. After all, "Who can have a thing if The Lord has not given him".
The White Man's Signature
I observed the cars I rode in, the Tennis court we play in, the game gears we use, the bread we eat, the shoes I wear, the smart phone I type on, the books that thrill me, the blog posts that edify me, the internet I reach my love from; and I see the white man's signature on all of it.
To refuse to go the white man is to return to be like my towns men who hawk bread at FUTA north gate. It is to be in the ranks of my cousin who I can't even explain basic things to, it is to rescind to the hoe and the cutlass.
The New Embrace
It became imperative that I (and we) should make a real effort to learn from the men that have this knowledge. We could then hope that God grants us skill to further develop that which we gain. Just as we have done with the gospel of Christ.
I make a shout out to my colleagues who had recognized this before now and had been in pursuit of the white knowledge. Ade, Lance, Obu, Akintokun, Eunice, and others.
Chinedu, February 2019.
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ReplyDeleteWhen you say "I (and we) should make a real effort to learn from the men that have this knowledge" which obviously are white men, does it not contradict your earlier resolve to do "all my schooling in Africa" to prove a point ?
ReplyDeleteNice read.