Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, May 18,2022, Page 7A
Soul Food
from the Hood
by Keith Hood
The Cat
Has
Caught
The Moon
I lived in
Africa for
some lunar
eclipses.
But I had
no idea
what their
traditional
worldview
would be
for the solar
eclipse.
Bigger
than I had
thought. I
reminisced of our home
in Africa during the
blood moon Sunday
night.
In the African city
of Koutiala, Mali, I
sat capturing the day’s
events in my journal
one evening. It was like
any ordinary night—as
understood in the West
African context. The
big fruit bats were well
installed in the mango
trees over our house,
claiming the mangos
as their own before we
humans considered them
ready for consumption.
Traffic had slowed
considerably; still, an
occasional moped or
bush taxi bumbled by.
Suddenly the
tranquility of
the evening
was mugged by
an organized
hysteria. A
mass of people
equipped with
drums, cans,
buckets, sticks
and anything
else that would cause a
ruckus marched down
the road in front of our
house. I thought, “It’s
not normal for weddings
to be held at night.”
The herd eventually
migrated by. At last, the
fruit bats and I could go
on about our nocturnal
routines. Lo and behold,
another group came,
stomping their feet and
kicking up a cloud of
dust. They, too, banged
pots, cans, drums and
probably each other,
sending a sonic boom
seemingly all the way
to the moon. They
whooped and yelped
with an urgency that
conjured a feeling of a
supernatural shadow
land.
Finally, it occurred
to me—this was no
wedding; there was a
lunar eclipse, and these
faithful Africans had
heeded the call. The cat
had caught the moon,
and they were about the
business of driving it
away. They believed that
if they didn’t, this evil
in the heavenlies would
perpetuate and someone
would be stricken ill
or die. Freedom has its
price.
Christians can draw
spiritual parallels from
this African folklore
about the cat having
caught the moon. We
are like John the Bap
tist: “(John) came as
a witness to testify
concerning that light, so
that through him all men
might believe. He him
self was not the light; he
came only as a witness
to the light”(John 1:6-8).
We Christians have no
light of our own; we
simply reflect the Son,
the true Light. The same
is true of the moon. It
has no light of its own; it
reflects the sun’s light.
When the earth comes
into the direct path of
the sun and moon, it
intercepts the sun’s light,
causing a partial or total
eclipse. The sun’s light
doesn’t get to the moon,
so the moon does not
reflect any light. The cat
has caught the moon!
Similarly, when we
allow the world to get in
the way of our fellow
ship with the Son, we
reflect less of His Light.
We don’t reflect as much
of Christ’s glory. The cat
has caught the moon!
We can’t see the “cat”
coming. In an eclipse, a
shadow gradu
ally covers the
moon, and we
may not even
realize it’s there.
The cat may
come in the
form of pride.
We should say
Hood with John the
Baptist, “He
must become greater, I
must become less.”(John
3:30) If we always have
to be number one and
our lives are not about
reflecting the glory of
the Son, behold—the cat
has caught the moon! As
the apostle Peter said,
“be self-controlled and
alert. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like
a roaring lion looking
for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing
firm in the faith, because
you know that your
brothers throughout the
world are undergoing
the same kind of suffer-
ings”(l Peter 5:8-9).
Sometimes we wel
come the cat. We won’t
let the Son’s Light reflect
off of us because we’re
afraid of making some
one uncomfortable. Or
we won’t reflect the
Son’s light because
“it’s just not cool.” As
a result, we cause those
within our sphere of
influence to walk in a
darkness greater than
necessary. The cat has
caught the moon!
Our nationality matters
not. If the cat has caught
the moon, we need to
drive it away by making
some noise. The noise is
prayer; “If we confess
our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteous
ness” (1 John 1:9).
Let’s strive to fully
reflect God’s light in this
dark universe. Togeth
er, let’s resolve to heed
these words of the True
Light: “In the same way,
let your light shine be
fore men, that they may
see your good deeds and
praise your Father in
heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
Free Dumpster
Provided For
Smithville Citizens
Mayor Vincent Cutts
reminded citizens in
attendance at the Smith
ville Council Meeting
May 16 that the city is
providing a free dump
ster for Smithville resi
dents to use. The orange
dumpster is located in
the public works yard
behind the community
building.
Citizens can bring
furniture and limbs and
other unwanted items.
When the orange dump
ster is full, it will be re
placed with another one.
The intent is to eliminate
items including furniture
being placed by the side
of the road. It was also
pointed out that there is
no need to burn limbs
and other yard debris.
The dumpster is being
provided free for indi
viduals to use which will
result in a cleaner and
beautiful city.
“I’M PROUD TO BE YOUR LOCAL FARMERS AGENT.”
FARMERS
" INSURANCE
Mercedes Aldridge
Agent Life • Home • Auto
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108 HWY 32 W STE C Te | 759-9841
Leesburg, GA 31763 Fax 229-759-9844
maldridge@farmersagent.com
So sad to see what
Socialism is doing to
our country. Little by
little it is eating away at
our Country’s Constitu
tion and Bill of Rights.
Trying to put everything
under the
Govern
ment’s
control.
Stopping
free speech
and expres
sion. The
Administration
trying to show
the US popu
lation that what
we have is all wrong and
pointing to Conserva
tives to blame for all the
problems. Separate the
population into groups.
Control how we are
supposed to think, and
the Mass Media report
ing this as the Govern
ments narrative on how
we should live. Divide
and confuse. A popular
idea used by many. The
USSR did this and it
think for themselves and
the States should decides
by vote of its citizens
our laws. What we have
in our country has been
defended and sacri
ficed for almost
three centuries
by White,
Black, Brown,
Yellow, and
Red skinned
people, of all
religions and
who love this
country. Let
us not forget
how this Great
Nation came to be and
why it has always been
a “Shinning Beacon” for
most of the world. The
United States of Amer
ica. One Nation. Under
GOD, Indivisible, with
Liberty and Justice for
ALL. Not the few con
trolling the many. Just
my thoughts which were
Granted to Me by many
Great Americans from
our Past.
Robert Leach
collapsed. Hitler’s Third
Reich tried this Mania
cal Idea and it collapsed.
The Roman Empire put
everything under Rome
Authority until the mere
weight of its own design
caused it to collapse.
This has been tried
many times and history
shows it always failed in
the end. I hope we don’t
let this happen to Our
Country. Remember it
is “We it The People”.
Not the Government. We
are the people Repre
sented in Government
that decides our future.
The States created the
Federal Government not
the other way around.
It grows even further.
What gives their govern
ment the right to tell us
what is right or wrong
for us. We are guaran
teed to right for all to
<T^e-LECect
Donna *
ASchool Board
'Thank you for considering me to serve a second!
4-year term on tfie Lee County SchooCBoard
My Qualifications:
*32 years working in Lee County Schools as a teacher,
Principal and Curriculum Director
*Bachelor’s degree, University of Florida in Education
*Master’s degree, Georgia State University in
Education and Administration
*Specialist’s degree, Columbus State University in
Education and Administration
*U.S. Army for 24 years, retired
*Resident of Lee County since 1978
*Two sons, started in Kindergarten and graduated
Lee County High School
My Community invoCvement:
*Whiz Kids, First grade tutoring program
*Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
*Lee County Library Board
*Family Connections and Literate Lee Board member
*Member & Trustee Chairman, Leesburg UMC
My LAwarcCs:
*Partner in Education, Lee County Chamber
*Teacher of the Year, Lee County Primary & Elementary
Schools
*Albany Fierald’s, Best of the Best Principal 2004 & 2013
and Best of the Best School Board Member 2021
“1 Believe ChiCcCren are our future... ancC
their future starts with a great
education!”
...electh...
FRAN -
/ALLS
Redbone District 5
Board of Education
Edwardjones
> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC
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