GERMANY: LAND IN THE MIDDLE

There is something about Germany. It seems to be, at the same time, 100% Capitalist and 100% Socialist, poised, balanced at the meeting point between capitalism and communism.

This word “Communism” is not much used anymore, as people prefer the less menacing sounding Socialism, – in fact now they only say “Social”, in order to free themselves from adherence to its stricter definitions – but its principles, its Goals continue to live on, refining itself towards realisation, in the heart of many people and many nation-building ideals.

Now East has become West. But what is in the heart cannot be wiped away with signatures and bulldozers. They say in Africa: you can remove the monkey from the bush, but you cannot remove the bush from the monkey. (As an African, obviously I am allowed to use that proverb without being accused of being politically incorrect 🙂 ).

Everything, i.e. every mindset and striving,  seems to come together, find a balanced confluence, truly, not in America but strangely enough in Germany. The two sides at the same time.

Mayhaps stems herefrom the Anglo-American fear of Germany. This sensing that it was not only West Germany that went into the East, but also East went into the West. East and West have both … well, not vanished, but become ever more indistinguishable from one another, become something new, something called Germany. A new modern experiment.

If a look is cast at political, social, even spiritual tendencies in the world today, and an eye kept open for the one place where the different, often competing, differing ideologies all seem to have struck cohabitual roots, then ever and again Germany takes the Spotlight.

Socialist at heart, capitalistic in endeavour; and their system of thought reflects this marriage, or attempted marriage, of ideals.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

WIR SIND

Wir sind wie Zombies
Leben in Deutschland wie
Schatten in einem Raum leben –
Nämlich nicht. Nur
An der Wand schemenhaft schleichen
Unstet, unsicher, bruchstückhaft
Unerfasst und unfassbar
Und fassungslos

Wie Geister tauchen wir aus dem
Nichts nachts auf
Tanzen laut wie entfesselte
Verzweifelten…
Lachen mit Mund
Fragen einander gegenseitig mit Augen
Was wir hier machen –
Nämlich nichts.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

MITEINANDER

Ich bin Fremder in Deutschland
Und bekomme es zu spüren
Weniger ist mehr

Doch die Da-zugehörigkeit
Sie überwiegt
Siegt.

Nie sah ich die Menschheit
Einig unter sich
Und man sagt, ich habe schon mehrmals gelebt
Seit Urzeiten mal hier
Mal dort
In vielen Menschenherzen, ewige Kultur

Immer gab es einen Grund,
Zwiezuspalten
Und das Miteinander immer wieder
Neu zu gestalten.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

Searching For The Right Response


I live in Germany. Just two days ago, my wife, our two kids and I were at the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. It was jam-packed, and most people seemed relaxed and happy. We had lots of fun, rode the giant carousel with the kids, laughed out loud, ate extra-large Brezels with hot steaming Glühwein for Yvonne and me, and for the kids warm Kinderpunsch.

And we stood in front of a super-sized Manger and I told my daughter the story of the overwhelmed shepherd to whom a host of angels appeared and brought the glad tidings of great joy: that God had sent His Son to bring Light and Love as salvation to mankind. Pointing at each figure in the Manger, I told her about Joseph and Mary, about the three wise men, and about the Child in the crib in whose heart was Magic. Because Love is Magic. It was a beautiful day.

What religion, what philosophy, what doctrine, what hatred, what madness, what smallness makes a person drive a truck into a packed Christmas Market? How can such a thing be rationalized or comprehended?

I think of the people at the Christmas Market in Berlin yesterday – and inwardly I see the faces of the people I saw at my Frankfurt Christmas Market two days ago. The same kinds of people. Happy people. Full of the spirit of Christmas. I see myself and my family. I see mankind, up against an Evil; an Evil that is slowly uniting the rest of mankind against it. It might take long for the right response to intuite itself into conscious thought and into a visible systemic form. But one day… one day… it will.

Mankind is not perfect, it is true. But this kind of Evil… is beyond all depths.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

WIR MÜSSEN ZUSAMMEN HALTEN

Wir müssen zusammen halten
Denn die Stunde ist gekommen
Die Hasserfüllten wollen alle Gesellschaften spalten

Aber dies ist auch die Stunde
In der unsere Zivilisation einen Sprung macht
Nach Vorne in die nächste Runde

Unsere Werte werden überwiegen –
Die Furien sind entfesselt,
Zu wüten aber niemals zu siegen!

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.