Pretty beautiful, huh? For nine weeks this past summer, that was life.
In South Africa (country code ZA) I was called to be a neighbor to all,
regardless of my background, my place of birth, or the color of my skin.
My time this summer wasn't just touched by Ubuntu; it revolved around it.
Sometimes translated as "human kindness," "humanity towards others," or "human-ness," the South African philosophy of Ubuntu speaks beautifully of the unbreakable bonds between people — despite religious, cultural, or national divides, the purpose of one human is indelibly linked to that of all others. When one person is hurting, the community hurts; when one woman is joyous, her neighbors are called to celebrate alongside her. As Catholics, we work to live out the seven principles of Catholic Social Tradition (CST), yet Ubuntu manages to sum them all up in one clear and beautiful sentence: I am because we are. At its core, CST offers this same idea, rooted in the love God has for each of His children. It is our humanness that makes us all innately unique, and yet it is this humanness that calls us to communion with everyone else. We are a collective 'one' in our one God, and we cannot survive without each other. Not buying it? Hey even Simba said, "We are more than we are; we are one." Deceivingly wise, that lion.
My work this summer focused on how we, as sisters and brothers of every one of our neighbors, are called to work for the rights and freedoms of each person in this world — regardless of skin color, place of worship, political affiliation, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, favorite color, hometown, school or university, or any of the other numerous ways we, as humans, like to separate others from ourselves. As a Catholic, I am constantly pursuing ways in which to live out the principles of CST in my life; as a human being, I see Ubuntu as a north star, guiding my attitudes and (more importantly) actions. Through Ubuntu and CST, we are able to answer difficult questions: How are we meant to serve those around us? How can I be transformed in love for my neighbors and yearn for their flourishing as much as my own? I (as well as everyone else) can only answer these questions with the understanding that, even though it seems like I can be just fine taking care of myself, this life is not about living just because I am important, but because collectively we are. This website is technically about za&me, but maybe za&us makes a little more sense...
My work this summer focused on how we, as sisters and brothers of every one of our neighbors, are called to work for the rights and freedoms of each person in this world — regardless of skin color, place of worship, political affiliation, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, favorite color, hometown, school or university, or any of the other numerous ways we, as humans, like to separate others from ourselves. As a Catholic, I am constantly pursuing ways in which to live out the principles of CST in my life; as a human being, I see Ubuntu as a north star, guiding my attitudes and (more importantly) actions. Through Ubuntu and CST, we are able to answer difficult questions: How are we meant to serve those around us? How can I be transformed in love for my neighbors and yearn for their flourishing as much as my own? I (as well as everyone else) can only answer these questions with the understanding that, even though it seems like I can be just fine taking care of myself, this life is not about living just because I am important, but because collectively we are. This website is technically about za&me, but maybe za&us makes a little more sense...