Day 27: Ubuntu: We Are All Connected
CeCe’s Musings
Day 27
Inspiration: Last night’s meditation reflection, Calm App, The Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt
“Ubuntu tells us that we can create a more peaceful world by striving for goodness in each moment, wherever we are.” ~Desmond Tutu
What act of generosity or kindness can you offer someone today?
The Kenyan literary scholar James Ogude says ubuntu, a South African word, “is rooted in what I call a relational form of personhood, basically meaning that you are because of others. In other words, as a human being, you - your humanity, your personhood - you are fostered in relation to other people.” Ubuntu is a counterargument to our society’s hold on the importance of the individual. Instead ubuntu focuses on our relationship with others, how we are all connected rather than separated.
Last week during our Thursday tutoring session, my sweet 8 year old student ran back to her classroom to bring back two packages of Gushers. “One for me and one for you, Miss Christie,” she beamed. I spend most Thursday mornings with her, reading and writing and talking, but my heart did a triple bounce when she thought to offer me a treat. Already she is thinking beyond herself. I have great hope for this amazing young woman.
Showing compassion for others in our community is our humanity, because we are looking out for the collective instead of just ourselves. When we say, “Oh, that doesn’t affect me, so why should I care?”, we neglect our humanity. The competition baked into our culture creates this “me only’ society, and it spills over into the mean and spiteful behavior we witness out in the world.
Kindness and generosity are quiet gestures that can go unnoticed, yet they have a ripple effect. One small act can touch one person, and then that individual can offer up their kindness, and slowly humanity is stronger for it.
Generosity involves more than sending money or volunteering. It is opening our minds and hearts to other people’s stories, not just thinking of ourselves. As we widen our circles, we gain more insight to different perspectives. When we help the collective, we improve our own lives, and in turn, the world around us. Our humanity exponentially increases with each kind gesture.
So, what act of generosity can you offer someone today? How can you be kind and happy and brave? How can you make the world a better place, one small gesture at a time?
