Somehow, somewhere along the line of modern history February became the month of love. My musings are going with the trend.
I was taught the different types of love in form three. Of course it was a Religious Studies class and all we were taught where the definitions to be memorized for examinations:
Agape~ The love of God; unconditional, absolute love of a creator for the creation.
Philia~ Brotherly or family love
Eros~ Romantic, erotic love.
Of course this month it’s Eros getting all the attention with prices of condoms now 50% off but that’s not what this post is about.
I recently thought of how my teacher could have taught us all a bit more/better if he had included a few other types of love self-love for one but more to the point of this post; love for one’s country.
Loving something or someone is always a choice and it would have been nice if that had been instilled into our young minds. If that seed of nationalism and patriotism was planted.
On the contrary the trend seems to be: hate your country enough to lie to leave it then begin loving it from far away enough to have your mother sew you “Bamenda marking ensembles” to wear and show off your “cultural roots”. Never mind the fact that we don’t know the meaning behind the Togu designs or the practice. Never mind the fact that each tribe in that region has a different version of the traditional wear or something completely different. We suddenly discover nationalism when in another’s country.
The again what love we may have is vacillating and shifty. It depends on whether the Lions win the match or not, on whether the investments we made were successful or if the customs at the port asked to much in bribes, it depends on if the president is going to change or still be the same. Our love for country is the antonym of Agape, anything but unconditional.
Yet if we think about it we have made love for country depend on love of people. Else our nationalism won’t depend on a group of men running around a field or a corrupt sector or even the ones leading it. Our love for country should be Agape simply based on the fact that we create this country as much if not more than it makes us. The country is what its people are, what its people says it is. How do you love your country? I invite you to ponder on the ways…
1 Comment
I love the country miss Monique but the administration sucks.