Guardian of Morality

By Samil Lexima

We should seize every opportunity for self-improvement, finding ways to help our families, friends, and communities live together in greater harmony. One of the highest callings in life is to seek wisdom – through education, and by a process of discernment, and an examination of morality and spirituality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Samil Lexima
• Release date: Aug 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370286904

Samil Lexima

I was born in Au Parc, a coastal indentation between two capes, located in the Western part of Haiti on the Island of La Gonâve. My mother, Jeanette Leandre, a homemaker and tenant farmer, grew up in the village of Mapou, La Gonâve. My father, Jean Destin Lexima, a tenant farmer and stock raiser, came from the commune of Pointe-à-Raquette, also on La Gonâve. My parents met in Au Parc, fell in love, and gave life to me and my siblings. My mother often narrated the process of my birth, just like any other process of giving birth to a child; natural and painful. When I came out of my mother’s womb, there were smiles of joy; I was a sturdy child. My sturdiness touched my mother’s heart, bringing joy to her eyes; encouraging her to believe that her handsome baby was destined to not only see life but to grow up to be a man of self-consciousness, self-determination, and self-reliance.

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…To my mother, Jeanette Leandre.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the Creator for allowing me the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, joy and understanding. My parents gave me such a wonderful start. For my Mother, Jeanette Leandre, I can hardly find words to express my feelings, about the power, beauty, and majesty of her mother's love. As for my Father, Jean Destin Lexima, I recognize and honor his courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity.

To all those friends and family members who have helped me along the way, thank you for your advice and encouragement. And special thanks for the friendship of Ellen Apperson Brown, who has shown such a sincere interest in each of us Haitian refugees, ever since our arrival in Roanoke, over twenty years ago. For all of these blessings, I feel deeply thankful!

Introduction

When I was growing up I was vaguely aware of an impulse, deep inside, compelling me to strive for something higher than myself. Sometimes this left me frustrated; for I could not figure out what exactly I had been created to do, or what purpose I might serve. I saw that the world was stricken by poverty, immorality, and political warfare. I kept questioning my faith and my beliefs, wondering about the meaning of life and whether to believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who was in control of all things. Why did poverty, war, immorality, hatred, and injustice exist in the world? I wondered if there could be a different sort of world, and a better future. But there was this energy in me that kept convincing me that there was a reason, there was a Higher Being, a better world and better life. Then, over time, experience came to teach me that the Truth was always there, and that it was only necessary to dig for it. I spent a great deal of my life learning about myself and life in general and searching for whatever it was that was missing. No other person on earth could have done this work for me. I began to examine philosophy and history to find answers; reading obscure books, and engaging in historical conversations with many elders.

No matter where or what I was doing, I always felt a desire to be around people with knowledge and wisdom about life. I admired people who could sustain intellectual dialogues and discuss politics, religion, economy, history, science, philosophy, and poetry. My 12th grade English teacher once commended me on my English work, proclaiming that one day I would be considered a poet, a thinker. I was wowed by her compliment. Back then I did not really know what it meant to be a thinker. Later I learned that the term referred to a philosopher, or a person of great intellect and wisdom. As I came of age the description began to fit, as more and more people commented on my intellect.

I remember once having a conversation with an elder who accused me of being too intellectual. I refused to accept his criticism, insisting that there could not possibly be such a thing as too intellectual. He pointed out that people of minimal education would have difficulty understanding my comments. He suggested that I should learn to curb my way of thinking in order for people to better understand and communicate with me. I argued, adamantly, that I should not have to adjust my manner of speaking in order to please those of lesser intellect or education. I could not possibly influence, compel, or require someone to understand me if they were incapable of understanding. I was using correct, standard English, but illiterate people were