BELIEVE!

It is a word most commonly used, a term often coined in everyday phrases. It is thought by most, if not all, to mean a lot. An untapped power is tacked within it. What’s the word you ask? Believe. Belief. Believing. Appropriate to this context in any of the aforementioned forms.
What is the meaning of belief? What is it to believe? What is believing?
Belief. Defined as a feeling that something or someone is real and true. Also defined as something that one accepts as true or real; what one believes.[1]
In contemporary society today, belief is somewhat regarded as a formula, a means to a happy ending. Songs have been sung, books have been written, award-winning films made. All about belief. And believing.
It is a doctrine taught everywhere. In the church, the marketplace, even in the pubs you won’t miss the occasional voice of sense clumsily dwelling on this matter.
I am confident in stating that most, if not all of us have experienced the emotion, found something, someone to practise belief on/in. Yet I can’t help but wonder, in the heat of all that knowledge behind this mystical entity, many of us have not reached the end through which the means is believing. Many of us have not even begun to scratch the surface of the prize that is attained when we believe. Why so?
As young people, as young Africa, as a generation. Do we believe? What do we believe in? Is it in the things we do? Or in what we say? What we hear or see? Is our believing based on logic, arguments, deductions, conclusions? Do we even believe at all? In anything? Anyone?
I reckon, the saddest lives are those led without much a sense of belief. These are constantly wandering hearts and minds that are hardly ever at peace.
Reality is, we’ve got to believe. Whatever it is we believe in gives us a sense of direction. This, however, does not justify the things we believe in. Believing in things that are here today and gone tomorrow is not believing. It may seem real, but is an expendable entity real? Belief should be based on something unchangeable, immutable; something that cannot be altered by the things we say or do. Something that cannot be intimidated by that which we say. Such belief is credible, and can guarantee a path to greatness.
Young Africa, what do we believe in? What are the things we view to be real? Which people do we regard to be true? It is a sad truth to observe, that in a bid to believe, we have altered the definition of it thereof. We have interpreted ‘real’ to be the lyrics that missed the garbage can and hit the radio waves instead. We have chosen to view ‘real’ as inebriation, alcoholism, drugs, sex. These are the things that we believe in, because these are the things we define to be ‘real’. These are the things upon doing, you are keeping it real.
I ask again, what are we choosing to believe in? As a generation living in depravity and moral erosion, what are we holding on to? What do we grasp on to stay afloat in this hungry sea of despair, of disillusion, of unbelief, of death? Are we holding on to things that, just like us, can be drowned by the vastness of this dilemma? Are we drowning ourselves by holding on to things that are already down under? Or are we trying to brave the storm without so much as a life jacket?
We’ve got to believe. But not just in anything. Not just in anyone. We’ve been made aware of the wars we are in. We’ve been informed as to what the armour is. Belief. But this armour is only as helpful as you let it be. It’s only as reliable as the source. It is possible, that the very armour you so confidently rely on, could be the same one that orchestrates your demise; that turns against you to your detriment.
Young Africa, believe, but not just in anything. Believe, but not just in anyone.

He who has ears, let him hear![2]
[1] Definition from the Oxford Dictionary
[2] Matthew 13:9