Why Mana Arts?
The Meaning Behind the Name.
Jewish & Christian
Traditions
People of the Jewish and Christian faith will recognize the word MANA (sometimes spelled MANNA) as food from heaven.
In the Bible, the Book of Exodus tells how God provided for his people as he led them out of slavery into freedom. For 40 years in the desert, Mana was the food God provided every morning. It looked like coriander seed and tasted like wafers of honey. When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is it?" (In Hebrew: Man hu). Mana provided for their physical need in a difficult time of survival.
The people in Jesus' day misunderstood the significance of Mana. They longed for a physical miracle like the Mana of the Exodus Story. However, Jesus wanted his disciples to seek a different kind of Mana, not a physical gift of bread, but the Mana of Life. Mana, the bread of life Jesus offered was a gift of himself and a gift of relationship. Mana provided the gift of God's love, his protection, and for his people to be what he created them to be - a family of greatness.
Polynesian, Melanesian, & Maori Traditions
In the Polynesian, Melanesian, and Maori traditions,
Mana means a universal and supernatural power.
Mana is honor. To have mana is to have great authority, presence or prestige.
Mana is respect. It instils reverence and admiration. It respects others.
Mana is power. A person with mana is spiritually powerful, influential and courageous, yet humble.
Mana is a legacy, handed down by generations. It embodies culture, history, and beliefs. It is who people are as a nation
Mana is sacred, complex, and touches the very soul.
...a GIFT
A gift from God, a gift of God, a gift of belonging in an intentional way to a community in solidarity, the gift of life itself.
Mana is the sharing of our gifts and talents that nourishes lives and strengthens communities.
And the Word - Arts:
That's the Meaning of our Name
When you talked about "The Arts," you are referring to modes of expressions that use skill or imagination to share one’s self with others.
For us, ARTS is also an acronym that stands for:
Access to
Resources
Transform
Societies
Why be called Mana Arts? Because it means to free the natural gifts bestowed upon all people to express their gifts of self in ways that support their families and communities and so transform the societies they form.