Wande Abimbola – Ifa will mend our broken world

Thoughts on Yoruba Religion and Culture in Africa and the Diaspora- a book review of a book solving world problems now-now.
Having given this book ten plus years to perform the miracles we claim for it and not seeing any betterment in the world, it is time to expose the deceit of another religion to solve our problems.

What are the problems of the world today? There are personal problems. Suicide among the young has increased. Life, according to these young people, is not worth living. Divorce rate almost overwhelms marriage. What union is most preferable? Loneliness is a precursor to depression. Where are the things that gave life the delight we crave? These are some of our problems.

There are the overwhelming global problems. Climate change is happening or not happening? While some are denying it, others are already working for its resolution. But if we don’t all believe in it and work towards its resolution, can we ever solve the problem?
The temperature on earth is getting hotter. Winters have become as warm as summer, and summers? Bushes are burning without stopping. Incredible undersea volcanoes are exploding creating tsunamis around the world. A few years ago there was no word such as tsunami in general circulation like this. None of the English meanings give the unexpected nature of a tsunami, the killing and sudden alteration of fortunes…

Ifa will mend our broken world. How? The book is a series of interviews with an introduction by Ivor Miller. But before going to the introduction, let us look at two opinions on this book. The first is from Professor Segun Gbadegesin. He says: “This book is a timely, most probably predestined, intervention to clear puzzled, enlighten the mind and advance our knowledge of Yoruba religion and culture. Professor Wande Abimbola, presents the basic foundations of Yoruba religion and culture in the most accessible form, with characteristic lucidity and uncommon openness. This book is an essential reading for all students and practitioners of Yoruba culture.”

The second opinion on the book is from John Pemberton lll: Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World is a remarkable book. It is a testimony to the creative power of Yoruba thought in the life of a man whose mission is to see the perpetuation of his cultural heritage among people in West Africa and the Atlantic world. Those who would seek to speak for or about the Yoruba will have to take counsel with and respond to Abimbola’s understanding and vision.”

The four characteristics of all religions are: rituals, philosophy, sacred text and ethics. None of these is difficult to explain in Yoruba religion and culture. The difficult part has to do with the right and the left of good and evil and how sacrifice unites both to balance your wishes. Once these have been crossed, the rest is easy to understand. It is the opposites that would cure the world.
A chapter is entitled “The need for a new convanant”. Trees, animals and birds are all named and they carry their names. Then they also carry the responsibility of caring for one another.

“It will not be spoiled in our time
It will not be spoiled in our time
The World will not be spoiled in our time
Ifa will mend it.”

“All these acts of creation were witnessed by Ifa, whose other name is Orunmila, the Yoruba divinity responsible for divination and intellectual development. It was Orunmila who gave each plant, animal, or bird its own special name and identity. That is why Ifa is known as witness of destiny who is more effective than medicine.”

In a wide-ranging and in-depth interview, Ivor Miller questions Wande Abimbola about his mission as Awise of Yoruba to the world especially to the new world of the Americas, north and south, the Caribbean and the United States of America. Abimbola is most articulate about his mission in the places where there is passion for the Yoruba religion but much ignorance. He is careful about the ignorance but full of praise for the enthusiasm for the religion and culture.

Unfortunately, and in the system of African leadership tradition, at no point does Miller ask Abimbola about training his successor.

It is likely that the title will die with him. Which will be terribly terribly unfortunate for the Yoruba language, religion and culture. It would be terrific to be proved wrong this time but the title Awise will perish with Wande Abimbola. So may it not be!
The section on how Abimbola went to western type school is interesting and could make a good television series alone. It is from a depth of knowledge that Abimbola could produce such a critic of the effect of the free education on the continuation of the destruction of Yoruba language, Yoruba religion and Yoruba culture. Those who created free education were Christians and gave no place to Yoruba culture. If free education was good for the people of the region, it was not good for their culture. Anyone interested in the absence of culture in our education must start from the lack of culture in our free education.

The rest of the book is full of what can be replaced from other books. Yoruba mythology, Ifa and the Yoruba people, Lukumi: Yoruba in Cuba and Yoruba drumming and literature; all these can be replaced. There is no doubt that Abimbola’s particular knowledge would still be missing but these can be replaced. The rest is re-usable information; that is what we have here.

This is a very interesting book from beginning to the very end. The personal part dealing with the development of Abimbola is iconic.

It could be used as representative of its type at the time of its writing. The rest of the book that deals the more general section of the book is still special. His critic of the free education that had no cultural content is spot-on. On the lack of criticism of traditional leadership is to be regretted. Somehow future writers would correct this mistake.