Photo via articimo.com

How the Kassem people in Ghana celebrated their first Christmas

By Success Kanayo Uchime

Special to ASSIST News Service

The Kassem people are located in the north of Ghana, West Africa and a Serving In Mission (SIM) country representative in Ghana, Howard Brant has narrated how the people celebrated their first ever Christmas as believers of the Gospel, in an article called “And So They Danced....”

Brant pointed out that many years ago when the Gospel was just coming to the Kassena, a local SIM director came to visit them and the new believers in Kassem had to put on a welcome dance for him.

“Soon after, we received a rather stern warning that we should not allow new Christians to dance,” he wrote in his article found at www.sim.org. “We were not so convinced. We could see that the people danced because it was their way of showing joy or happiness.”

According to Brant, a few months later, it was Christmas time and another leader came to visit them and this time from SIM International and what the Kassena believers did was to invite their team to one of their villages to celebrate their first Christmas.

“We went, not knowing what to expect,” he continued. “They had a few songs, an African meal and someone told the Christmas story. We were just about to leave when a solid “thump, thump, thump” rang out in the night. A shot of embarrassment went through me! No! These people were not going to dance again!”

But to the amazement of Brant the people dance! And out came the drums and they began their sophisticated rhythms. “Each ethnic group had their own way of drumming -and this was definitely “Kassem.”

He continued: “Very soon a long line formed and everyone joined their “line dance.” In the moonlight, they danced back and forth-about 10 feet left and then about 10 feet right-back and forth.”

Brant noted that the people at this point started to sing their song and that at first they didn’t understand, but slowly they were able to work out what they were singing. “It was their first Christmas song.”

According to him, over and over again, into the night the people sang –”Jesus Christ is the Son of God ... and He was born in Bethlehem.” All this Brant said came with the powerful sound of the drum that went right through them and that they could feel the vibration inside of them.

“The music went right down into your soul. And it made you want to get up and move and shout it out with them. Jesus Christ is the Son of God ... and He was born in Bethlehem!”

He further stated: “Well, so much for my embarrassment. Whatever my superiors might think, this was absolutely beautiful to me! Here was a clear, sincere, indigenous expression of these believers on their first Christmas — Kassena style. It was just as wonderful as �?Joy to the World’ or �?Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.’ Jesus is the Son of God, and He was born in Bethlehem. They danced on into the night.

“The evening grew late and we had to leave. I expected to face the disapproval of my mission leader. But as we drove home, he said, �?That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.’

“And it was.”

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TAGS: Ghana Kassem people first Christmas Serving In Mission dance

[12/27/2008]

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