In traditional Yoruba culture, when they coronated a new king, there was always a particular attention paid to the affairs of the kingdom in the early parts of his reign. If after he became king, there was peace, success, prosperity, abundance, healthy children, and just general good vibes in the land, then his own destiny was fortunate. The idea was that the kingdom thriving and prospering after he was crowned king meant that he came with good fortune. On the other hand, if after they made him king, there was famine, widespread disease, unrest, random misfortunes and defeats, then something was spiritually wrong with that king. He had bad luck.
In that sense, he wasn't just a political leader. He was also sacred, and his spiritual condition, his fate, was deeply intertwined with the wellbeing of the land and the people.
Igbá Kejì Oọ̀ṣà: next in command to the deities or second-in-command to the gods.
After fifty-three years, the New York Knicks won the NBA championships this past weekend. And the spirit, the joie de vivre, the celebration, outburst of positivity, coming together, unity are so tear jerking, it's hard to encapsulate them in words. Someone who's been particularly proud of them is their mayor, Zohran Mamdani. As I saw New Yorkers take the streets and spread joy and laughter like wildfire, I couldn't help but make the connection. I couldn't help but think this man, who has secured a billion dollar investment in childcare, fixed over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND potholes, invested in affordable home-care among others in just SIX MONTHS, has also brought his people good luck.
"My mayor's muslim, my bagel's jewish, my christian dior, Knicks in four!" - MD Ahnaf Hossain, a 23-year-old Knicks fan.
New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world and it has thrived, not despite, but because of its diversity. Pakistanis, Black folks, Indians, Jews, Haitians, Bengalis, Italians, Africans, White folks, Christians, Buddhists, whatever the race, creed, religion, you will find it in New York and they exist and THRIVE side by side. It's the perfect beautiful depiction of how God created this earth. Somehow, hate has thrived so much in recent years, that this particular America has been forgotten. That specie of greatness, that DNA sequence of America that had made it so exceptional has now being ridiculed by hateful people. What a joy to be reminded of real American greatness this weekend. What a joy to see people be so brought together because of sports.
In Yoruba ancient kingdoms, the ruler's destiny and the destiny of the kingdom are linked. It was the king's responsibility to maintain harmony between human beings, the ancestors, and the gods. When there is joy, when there is abundance, when there is peace, when there is lightness, it's all evidence that the king has brought good luck and is a spiritually legitimate reign.
Now, my rational self knows that what happened in the ancient Yoruba kingdoms was good governance; that a strategic and good leader yielded benefits, and conversely, a poor leader did the opposite.
My faithful spiritual (Christian, in this case) self, however, will never underestimate the power of grace and favor.
There was some kind of misfortune that told Yoruba people a leader's favor with spiritual forces was in jeopardy. If a king was out of favor with the spiritual realm, everyone in that land suffered. Everyone. When barely minutes after a leader is inaugurated, a freak mid-air collision between an airplane and a military helicopter kills too many people; when a once-in-a lifetime pandemic strikes in the first reign of a leader and consumes millions of lives; and in the second reign of the same leader, another deadly disease (two actually) starts making the rounds; when depression increases; when food is so expensive, people have to start making videos on how to ration; when wars won't stop...well, friends, if this were an ancient Yoruba kingdom, we would conclude there is a cloud of bad omen following the leader. It was so bad that the one game the Knicks lost had this man sitting there.
Selah.
A leader's reign and his spiritual state directly reflect on the prosperity (or lack of ) of the land. You can't tell me any different.
Congratulations again to the New York Knicks!
Love,
I
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