Friday 27 May 2016

Connecting Scripture and Whakataukī/Proverbs

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.


As the heart of the Pacific ocean, it makes sense that so many of Samoa’s alagaupu & muagagana (proverbs & idioms) use the imagery of fishing.
Like this one:
O le upega e fili i le po, ‘ae tatala i le ao
Its literal translation: The fishing net is knotted (or braided) at night, but opened (or untangled) in the morning/day.
Dr Schultz explains that after night fishing, fishermen would hang their nets up, but would only come back to put them in order in the morning.
According to Schultz, this proverb is about settling disputes, how we have to really understand what the true cause of the conflict is, first.
I think it also refers to how, when we’re all dark, angry and emotional with each other, sometimes it’s wise to just walk away for a while, to come back in the ‘morning’ (i.e. when we can see more clearly) and sort things out.
I love that these proverbs are somewhat open to interpretation. What are your thoughts about this bit of Samoan wisdom?


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