From “Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible” by Chris Morehouse; forward by Therese Taylor-Stinson
Meaning: You don’t jump straight into a situation without thinking about it first.
The above is a Nigerian proverb that warns us of the foolishness of decisions made without thought. If one hastily jumps into a river with both feet, they may drown not knowing the depth of the water, or they may lose their footing to avoid the grasp of an alligator. That causes me to consider the depth of the invitation given to write the forward for this amazingly thoughtful book, which parallels the proverbs of Africa with those proverbs and wise sayings found in the texts of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. Additionally, African proverbs from historically Muslim societies offer another opportunity for reflection. All three Abrahamic traditions have profoundly affected human wisdom around the world.