Once Upon A Time In Africa – Stories of Wisdom and Joy (2004) By Joseph G Healey – A Review

This is a unique and intriguing book that remarkably captures the essence of African society in response to and in cooperation with Christianity, other religions, and foreign society. But this is not an academic book loaded with complex and boring theories. Rather, the book contains about 100 stories that convey East African experiences with Christian missionaries from the west. Each story is unique and can convey an African parable, a summarized African story, an encounter with a group of Africans, missionary work in African schools, the African response to death and dying, the extent to which Africans compete with each other. yes in relation to the other world. societies, the importance of Africans sharing and running together, how Africans perceive Christianity and foreign behavior, etc. Many of the stories are funny, but the message of value is not lost. A Maasai moran wonders how great Jesus was. In relation to the Maasai aspect of recognizing greatness and manhood, the Moran wonders if Jesus ever killed a lion and how many wives he had.

In a racing competition, a nun wonders why the female students continue to cross the finish line together. They tell him that they don’t want to leave anyone behind, they want to end up together. Many of these stories convey African society as very cooperative, without insisting too much that one person outgrow and crush the other and become the center of attention. Africans traditionally do not want to be separated from each other and will work hard to stay together even when threatened by differences in religious beliefs. They are much less materialistic than many other societies in the world, they can achieve joy and happiness in the face of poverty and misfortune; they are generally not imbued with that Western spirit of materialism, monopoly, and selfishness.

Africans believe in reincarnation, believing that the spirit of a good person always returns to earth through a newborn, dead ancestors are guardian angels. African societies are shown to have their creation stories. African sayings are numerous and say a lot about Africans. In the book, Africans are portrayed in their homes, gardens, church, prayer, hunting, work, etc. In fact, this is a book about African joy and wisdom concisely illustrated with short stories, tales, proverbs, encounters and significant events.

Father Joseph Healey, who is originally from the United States and has operated in East Africa for several decades, managed to compile a gem of a book that one never tires of reading. Healey’s extensive practical familiarity with many African languages ​​and ways of life made him the ideal candidate for compiling this poignant and objective volume. More than any other text, the book illustrates the joy and wisdom in the basic day-to-day life of Africans and their response to a new world that grows smaller and more connected. The contents also illustrate how people from other parts of the world respond to and practically perceive African life. The stories in this book are short, but its messages are very powerful. Lessons about Africa are conveyed through aspects of adventure, ministry, religion, folklore, prayer, stories, African culture, poetry, spirituality, and stories.