Sunny Banana
I am a school chaplain and the content is intended to encourage curiosity about Faith and it's impact on day to day life
The Sunny Banana, is a play upon the Zulu greeting, Sanibonani, meaning I see you.
As tech wrenches us from real life, we are not seeing each other. The Greek word 'idea' means to see. It is as if we have lost the idea of what it means to be human; social, communal, relational. The same word, to see, in Old English is 'seon' which has connotations of understanding.
Let's start seeing each other again, listening, respecting, and understanding each other and ourselves. After all, we are people through other people.
Sunny Banana
The Half Girl
I interupt interviewing to take a soul-filled breath of story.
I recently took part in an online course called Christian Wonder Tales, delivered by master storyteller, Dr Martin Shaw and Hosted by Jonathan Pageau's Symbolic World.
It blew my mind and now would like to share some stories I learnt. Below is a little pin prick into one of them. Enjoy.
As the waves crash on the shore, emotions run high, culminating in a struggle that transforms two into one. This episode is a poignant reminder of the power of connection and the beauty of unity. Experience the triumphant return to her village, where a vibrant celebration awaits, filled with music, dancing, and heartfelt emotions. Whether you find yourself in the struggle for self-discovery or are simply captivated by tales of transformation, this heartwarming journey will speak to the very core of our human experience.
A long, long time ago, at the edge of a village there was a hut and inside this hut there was a woman who was giving birth, and around this woman were the women of the village, old and young, bringing all their wisdom and energy. And I'm delighted to tell you that the little child that was born was a baby girl, and I say that because I've had a baby girl myself and I know how wonderful it is. She was so beautiful, lovely, cute. But I must say if you had to look at this girl, you would say what a wonderful right eye, what a wonderful right ear, right arm, right elbow, right foot, right leg. Because it would appear that this girl was born a half girl.
Speaker 1:She grew up looking at everybody else and wondering why on earth did everyone seem to be complete and she was only half complete and she was only half. And she would ask people in her village and she would get sort of these crooked answers, never straight answer, these answers that went around the bush and and would never satisfy her. You know, it's not easy being a half girl and she decided one day, when she was old enough, that she would, in the silence, leave her village. No one made a fuss. No one tried to stop her, although that's how she felt, and she walked and walked and she walked a little bit more. It was months, years, who knows. It was a very long time. And you know, when you're a half girl come to think of it it's hard to keep a job down, it's hard to keep anything going, because you're always searching, you're always searching, you're always moving and you're restless when you are a half-girl. And time carried on Until one day she came across a shore, beautiful ocean, crashing waves. She couldn't go any further and just then another half girl started to come across over the beach and she thought to herself you know, if this girl to come across over the beach and she thought to herself, you know, if this girl came when she was two years old, it would have saved her a lot of problems, you know. Or if this girl came when she became a teenager, she wouldn't have so much of this worry or restlessness, you know. And she felt quite angry because this half girl seemed to have the other half that she was missing. And the other half girl looked at her and you knew that she was thinking the same thing.
Speaker 1:They had the half that the other wanted and a slagging match ensued. They started to slag each other off, name calling anger, the passion. It was tangible, until they eventually clashed physically in an almighty struggle that took them into the ocean, diving deep and splashing. If you were watching this, you would just see a limb coming out of the water, some hair flashing about and water going everywhere, till there was a deep silence and stillness. The fighting stopped and out came of that ocean one girl, and let me tell you she looked a piece of work. I mean, if you've had a tussle like that with a friend or if you've played rugby or a sport like that, your hair's all over the place at the end of the match. You are tired, you are tired, you are bedraggled and you just want to get somewhere where you can rest. And so she looked and looked and looked and carried on looking, and the walking continued, continued until she arrived at this village and she saw two really little crispy raisin.
Speaker 1:Like old people, you know, like old people they really can seem small sometimes. They're really old people. There was an old lady and there was old man, and she said to the old lady you know, I don't know who I am, I don't know where I am. I don't know who you are. Can you tell me where I am or where I am and who you are?
Speaker 1:And the old lady said my, my daughter. Don't you recognize us? Don't you recognize the village? We have been crying day and night since you left. We have been praying, we have been thinking about you and your safety and praying and hoping for your return. And today, my love, my daughter, you have arrived and you are whole, and some dancing and some eating and drinking and partying and music, dancing and more singing ensued night after night and when they woke up in the morning they carried on and there was lots of food and sharing and singing and crying and dancing, sharing and singing and crying and dancing. And, as they say, that is a story that has been in the jaw of many generations, many, many generations, and I've heard it before given to me and I give you that story today.