The World through Art

 

World Art Day is celebrated annually on April 15 as declared by the International Association of Art and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This day was first celebrated in 2012 and promotes the sharing and enjoyment of art while highlighting its contribution to cultural diversity, education and sustainable development. On this day, people are encouraged to engage with art through various activities, exhibitions and cultural events.

World Art day promotes diverse art expressions and encourages creativity. Various forms of art  such as painting, sculpting, drawing, photography and calligraphy are recognized as well as performance arts like dance, theater and music.

Engaging with art has been shown to improve mental and emotional wellbeing especially as it encourages creativity innovation and self-expression.  Art unites as it transcends borders, languages and cultures, bringing people together highlighting the richness and diversity of art forms worldwide.  It also fosters empathy and understanding of diverse perspectives.

By celebrating World Art Day we recognize the significance of art in our lives and its ability to bring people together, inspire creativity and promote understanding.

Rallying around African Americans and the Arts- Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a tradition that got its start in the Jim Crow era before it was officially recognized in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations. It honors the historical contributions, culture and significant achievements of African Americans.

Each year, there is new theme for Black History Month. This year, it’s “African Americans and the Arts,” paying homage to the varied history and life of African American arts and artisans.

I thought a great way to honor this month was to highlight some activists from the past that happen to al have birthdays in February. These Black American heroes challenged societal norms and advocated for justice, inspiring generations to stand for what’s right. Their courageous acts continue to resonate today, reminding us of the ongoing struggle for equality and empowerment in our society.

 From Rosa Parks, we can learn the importance of standing up for what we believe in the face of adversity. Fredrick Douglass's work reminds us to continuously strive for personal growth and development. We can embody his spirit by advocating for ongoing learning, improvement and empowerment in our professional lives.

 Langston Hughes’s work emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and celebrating individual voices. In today’s workplace, we can honor his legacy by encouraging open communication, valuing different perspectives and fostering a culture of inclusivity.

 Let’s carry their spirit forward not just during Black History Month, but every day as we strive to  a world that values inclusion, equality and empowerment for all.

 

Triumphing over emotions- Emotional Freedom Retreat

Throughout my adult life, I have been told by family and friends that I’m overly emotional and need to get a grip. Luckily, for the most part, this for me translated to being a strong person who just felt things more than others.

So in August 2023 when I met Elida Jerez at the Mega Free clinic held in Tacoma WA, I was drawn to her table especially as it had a flyer broadcasting an emotional freedom retreat. I had just had 2 surgeries in a space of 3 weeks and despite being a positive person, my feelings were all over the place. Simply put, I was going through the motions of doing things and was not feeling like myself.

It was also helpful that the brochure mentioned sponsorship especially as I was in the middle of bills and there and then I sat down and filled in my application and prayed it would be successful.

Fast forward to the retreat that took place 2 months after I had filled in the form, I was in a different place mentally but was still committed to participating and my 9 days at Sunset Lake camp didn’t disappoint.

There were 9 participants each assigned a coach and the day’s activities started at 6 a.m. with the coaches serving us lemon water and praying with their participants before leaving us to journal and get ready for the day. The program was action-packed and even the 1.5 hour (Flex time) that was optional for the participants to attend was assigned insightful activities like hydrotherapy, massages, and craniosacral therapy that we all eagerly showed up.

The organizers went above and beyond in putting the program together so that it was easy for all participants and volunteers to acknowledge our humanity and connect.

Both Grace and Susan learned of this retreat from Michelle one of the organizers of the retreat. I engaged with Grace on day 4 of the retreat and she told me she had learned of the retreat the very day it was starting while visiting a Korean church in Olympia. Grace a nutritionist and researcher at the University of Samyhook  signed up within 3 minutes with her main reason being this would be a great opportunity for her to control her blood glucose while at the retreat she had been monitoring it and it had gone down.

Susan on the other hand shared she learned of the retreat from a fair she was visiting and since she was battling with depression and felt unworthy Michelle convinced her to give it a try. It was day 6 when I engaged with her on this topic and she was smiling and assured me she already felt better and most important appreciated the sense of community at the retreat.

In one of our group break-up sessions, I was paired with Cindy and Patti and thought would check in on them too on why they were there and how it was going. Cindy reported she had learned of the retreat at a camp meeting in Eatonville and had signed because in her words, “she struggled with things.” At the time of our chat, she assured me she was so glad she had come and that God had prepared this retreat as a way for her to find little pieces to the puzzles to get more whole and she felt more guided on which direction to go while tackling things.

Pattie on the other hand had been a participant in the inaugural year of the Emotional Freedom retreat and was back this year as a volunteer coaching one of the participants. She said the previous year, the retreat had been an eye-opener for her especially as she was battling diabetes, and reiterated she loved helping others. While serving at the 2023 retreat, she said that she was humbled by how God came through for her in blessing her with connections that included practicing her Spanish and also getting more rooted spiritually towards a better healthier life.

On the Saturday that marked day 8, we graduated and at the ceremony, all the other participants got an opportunity to share their highlights and other wins that ranged from a week plus of no caffeine, no sugar cravings, making new friendships, overcoming trauma, appreciating healthy food to one of the participants marking a year since being discharged from a mental hospital.

Overall the retreat was evidence that much as we may have difficult times and experience lows in life, if we look to the throne of God and lean on each other, even in the small things in life, we can find stability and joy again.

In John 8:36, Jesus assures us of this, “So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.”

Thanks to everyone who made the emotional freedom retreat possible as it is a great platform to bring to life freedom from things and freedom to so many things and is playing it forward with a forum and weekly meetings for the participants to be accountability partners to each other. Together in Christ, we can be free.

Make Good Friday Personal this Easter

 

Growing up, I always looked forward to Easter weekend. It stood out mainly because it was a 4 day weekend and quietly I wondered what was good about the Friday that Jesus brutally died. Home, school, and the community were Christian based so with time it all made sense to extent that I merely went through the motions of observing it over the years.

This year however, as I attended Good Friday day Service at my home church in Tacoma Washington, the senior pastor dwelt on Jesus’ last words in the moments leading up to Him breathing His last. The great gift that makes this a Good Friday, once again became alive in me and here is why;

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

On the cross, we see love and grace. Even in his pain, Jesus was so gracious to ask the Father to forgive us.

 Luke 23:43

 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

On the cross, we see hope. This statement was said to one of the thieves who was crucified beside the messiah. Even in his pain, Jesus gave hope to someone else and because of the cross, there is hope for everyone. 

John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.'

On the cross, we see humanity. Jesus’ heart goes out to his mother and since he was fully man and dwelt with us, he understands the pain of his mother. While he is in pain, he is still compassionate and entrusts her to John. 

Mark 15:34

 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

On the cross, we see unbearable pain and the fact that Jesus became our substitute. He takes a punishment He doesn’t deserve for us. He takes on the sin of the world becoming the worst of us. Oh what love! 

John 19:28

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

On the cross, we see anguish. The man on the cross who had declared that those who drink the water He gives will never thirst again as the water He gives is eternal life was on the cross crying out that He was thirsty. With a snap of a finger, he could have changed all this but instead He went through this anguish for us. 

John 19:30

When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

On the cross, there was completion. The sacrifice of His life for ours was done and because of that, we can stop trying to earn our own way to get God’s favor. We can rest in God’s completed work. 

Needless to say, I had walked into church while going through flares of pain, but listening to Jesus’ last words while on the cross brought me to the realization that whatever I had going on was trivial because of the cross.

By going through the pain on the cross, Jesus had not only walked in obedience but also trusted the Father’s will. As a result, He crushed the enemy and Friday’s pain leads us to victory on Easter Sunday.

On the cross, Jesus accomplished what we couldn’t, He bought us salvation and my prayer as we celebrate this gift this Easter is that we daily entrust ourselves to the Father’s will too and surrender to him regardless of what may be going on around us.

 

 

 

A Lane called Love…In honor of Frank Asiimwe Kamugira

 I come from a culture that for lack of a better word is very closed up. From a young age, we are encouraged to act prim and proper at all costs, stay in our lane and not drift to another person’s lane unless absolutely necessary. And lest you get me wrong the culture is centered along ‘Ubuntu’ so good Samaritan acts are very common but when it comes to those who are near and dear, it is very common to say “how are you?” to which the standard response is, I’m fine without any depth. For children, at least when I was growing up the norm was children were supposed to be seen and not heard. This translated to clear boundaries between adults and children, children although much loved were not to question adults.

Recently, I received the news that a family friend Frank Kamugira had passed away on January 14, 2023. This is not a very pleasant way to start the year so this news shocked me to the core. As I processed the loss, naturally my mind went back to lots of childhood memories and also to the last time I had seen Frank in December 2019. I visited the family and had dinner with them, Frank ever jovial was so happy to see me; we embraced and exchanged a few pleasantries but never said anything meaningful. So as I took in the news that he was no more in the physical, I was forced to reevaluate my culture, our shared culture that I had always held in high regard.

I realized how fragmented and restrictive this culture is … I blamed the culture for my not engaging more with Frank the last time I had seen him. My mind went back to when he was a student at Old Kampala High School and how he ensured his father’s driver gave us a ride and that we made it safely to our neighboring primary school. I should have reminded him of this memory and thanked him for his thoughtfulness and kindness back then. I should have shared where I was in life…after all, I now lived in America where he had coincidentally also done a brief spell of his life. I’m sure he could have had tips for me about doing life miles away from home. Instead in the true Ugandan way, we had appropriately exchanged greetings without really checking on each other.

Looking back at this memory, I realized that life has so many lanes and as we go through these lanes we need people to walk life’s journey with us. However, as a people we have taken to only being there during the achievement lane; we are quick to celebrate and party 

but then we are not there when our dear ones are going through the rough or not-so-pleasant lanes of life. Instead, we legalistically check in with a “how are you?” to which the standard answer is fine. We then smile and if we sense anything wrong, because of our culture we are more prone to just assume things and hope for the best, sticking in one's lane more like...

My prayer is Frank’s sudden demise will challenge those who were dear to him to do better as tomorrow is not promised. I hope even with the restraints of our culture, we will do life in a lane evidenced by love. That we will have open hearts and open hands and will be intentional about checking in with each other.

Romans 12:10

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

 So in honor of Frank, I hope we will all find ourselves traveling in the lane of love, keep in the love of God, rejoice in it, and stay in it so that when it is our turn to go, we can rest in His love.

World AIDS Day

 

Did you know Dec. 1 is international World AIDS Day?

According to UNAIDS, World AIDS Day was established in 1988 and is the first-ever international day for global health.

 It is a day when people all over the world come together to not only show support for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but also remember those who have been lost to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

 For me, it is a day that is well registered at the back of my mind. Growing up in Uganda, I knew so many families who lost loved ones to this epidemic, and as a result, this subject was added to our education curriculum in schools so that our generation could do better. This day thus always reminds me of the collective and individual conscious efforts to keep the fight on so that the prevalence rate of those affected by HIV/AIDS goes down. 

My friend, Gigi Carter, like me, always commemorates this day. She says, “Having lost several relatives to HIV/AIDS in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, issues of HIV/AIDS have always been close to my heart. As an adult, I wear red as a tribute to the loved ones I have lost and commemorate World Aids Day to raise awareness about the disease and break down the stigma associated with HIV.” 

Her fervent hope is that the world will be AIDS-free as soon as tomorrow. You too can honor World AIDS Day so that together we not only control this epidemic but erase it completely. 

To start with this World AIDS Day, and throughout December, you can wear a red ribbon. The red ribbon is not only pretty but is a motif that can draw awareness to what HIV/AIDS is and how we can all unite together to fight it. 

The theme this year is, “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV.” This year marks the 34th year since the first World AIDS Day was founded. Visit UNAIDS to learn about the different themes over the years that demonstrate a testimony of the great stride to combat the disease. I hope like me you will heed this call and find active ways today and every day to force an end to this epidemic. 

Ramadan- Arab Heritage Month

 April is National Arab-American Heritage Month, dedicated to honoring the heritage of Arab-Americans and their contributions to American culture. One of the traditions of Arabic-Muslim people is celebrating Ramadan, a month-long prayer and fasting activity on the Islamic calendar. It is estimated that more than 1.9 billion people globally participate during the month of Ramadan and for every 100,000 people in Washington state, there are 284 Muslims.

To gain a better understanding of the Holy Month of Ramadan, I interviewed my friend Sophie Nakamya and asked her how she observes Ramadan, what is the meaning of Ramadan, and, also, what are the different traditions celebrated during the month.

Sophie, a devout Muslim, says, “Ramadan is the best month in the Islamic faith.” It is embedded in the 4th pillar of Islam. "It is the month when Satan is arrested by Allah, and a month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to our beloved prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and when he received his call for prophecy."

Ramadan is marked by fasting and praying. Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset with no food and water, and they must also abstain from physical affection, to fulfill the command of Allah. According to Sophie, this time is dedicated to remembering the Prophet Mohammed’s gift of prophecy, and in addition to the five times of prayer that earnest Muslims practice daily, during Ramadan, each day has a prayer theme. In addition, Ramadan is a month of brotherhood, and Muslims are required to perform acts of charity.

Sophie shares that Ramadan is special to her, as she not only prays the Taraweeh, which is prayed to thank God and ask for forgiveness, but in addition to worshipping her God, there are health benefits related to observing Ramadan.

“As I pray for Allah’s mercy for me and other people in the world,” Sophie says, “I’m usually more alert and my senses are particularly awakened. On top of that, by the end of Ramadan, I lose significant weight, which is good for my overall health.” 

I was curious about whether Sophie’s two girls, Bushra, 10, and Waliyyah, 5, participate in fasting. She assured me there are provisions for children.

“Islam has categories of people that have been exempted from fasting: pregnant women, the sick, the old, the young, those traveling, and any other special needs.”

However, they, too, are encouraged to participate in this sacred month through prayers and acts of charity.

“As a family, we gather together at Iftar when we are breaking the fast and we share more about the blessings of Ramadan then and how we can help the less fortunate,” Sophie adds.

Non-Muslims, Sophie says, can emulate the practices of Ramadan by setting aside time in their daily lives for religious meditation and reflection, as well as completing acts of service in benefit to others in their local communities. I believe it is a great discipline to practice that can help anyone, Muslims and non-Muslims, alike, look inward and be deliberate in focused reflection on the meaning of life, as well as express gratitude for the strength derived from the fast that then feeds the soul.

Incase you are not convinced,  my niece , eight year old Khaira Mayanja who is being brought up as Muslim adds,

" I have been taught Ramadan is not only about fasting , but as children we can learn   use this time to pray and help around the house and be good children." Her parents assured me that indeed through this season, we can  practice love for humanity demonstrating it through giving, forgiving  and patience. And to that I say , Amen especially as the world we live in needs more kindness.