These days I am presenting the message of Jesus in a couple of new areas, Golola and Ndene. I go together with a small group of Christians from here at Meshili, the place I live at Olbalbal. In one of our first meetings we talk of the Maasai narrative to explain how death came into the world.

One day Naitera-kop (God, the creator of the world) told Leeyo (The first Man) that if a child were to die, he was to say: “Man, die, and come back again; moon die, and never come back.” A child died soon afterwards, but it was not one of Leeyo’s, and when he was told to throw it away, he picked it up and said to himself: This child is not mine; when I throw it away I shall say, “Man, die, and remain away; moon, die and return.” He threw it away and, out of jealousy and selfishness, spoke those awful words, after which he returned home.

One of his own children died next, and when he threw it away, he said: “Man, die, and return; moon, die, and remain away.” Naiteru-kop said to him; “It is of no use now for, out of your hatred and jealousy, you spoilt matters with the other child.”

This is how it came about that when a man dies he does not return, whilst when the moon is finished, it comes back again and is always visible to us.

Jesus came to sweep away the bitterness, and vengefulness of Leeyo. Jesus came to reverse those terrible words: “Man, die, and remain away,” that brought suffering and death onto the plains and into the cattle camps of the Maasai. Naiteru-kop sent his oinoti (first born son) to proclaim to his people: “Man, die, and return”