Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Culture Wars

“Nothing new under the sun….”

by Jimmy Hopper

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says the following: “That which has been is what will be; that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.’ While reading Henry Morton Stanley’s (“Dr. Livingston, I presume”) memoir of his explorations in equatorial Africa in the 1870’s, I ran across this passage. Stanley and his party are north of present day Uganda and are staying in a village for the night. “Mirambo” is the great chief and overlord of the area with whom they have negotiated for permission to cross his country:

Zegi, swarming with a reckless number of lawless men, was not a comfortable place to dwell in. The conduct of these men was another curious example of how “small things make base men proud.” Here was a number of youths suffering under that strange disease particular to vain youth of all lands, which Marambo had called “big head.” The manner in which they strutted about, their big looks and bold staring, their enormous feather head-dresses and martial stride, were most offensive. Having adopted, from bravado, the name of “Ruga-Ruga,” they were compelled, in honor, to imitate the bandits custom of smoking bhangi (wild hemp,) and my memory fails to remind me of any similar experience to the wild screaming and stormy sneezing, accompanied day and night to the monotonous droning of the one-string guitar (another accomplishment de rigueur with the complete bandit) and the hiccuping, snorting and vocal extravangances which we had to bear in the village of Zegi.

There is very little in that description that I thought doesn’t apply to the young street gangs of today. There is the ridiculous dress, the posturing, the violence, the drugs, the imitation of the most violent aspects of society, and if you substitute the one string guitar for the incessant bass that rocks automobiles (I think the monotonous droning applies both to the bass and to the lyrics): the music is even the same. Maybe the social engineers of today can examine the Zegi society and find out how the Ruga-Ruga were disenfranchised and determine that they are only seeking a “family” to which to belong. On the other hand, maybe it’s a fallen world and man is flawed….

Ah, the wisdom in God’s word. There is truly “nothing new.”