Ordinary Time
âOne of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu â the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you canât exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You canât be human all by yourself [âŠ]
âYou are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.â
from No Future Without Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu (1999)
So the Lord God formed from the fertile land all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky and brought them to the human to see what he would name them. The human gave each living being its name. The human named all the livestock, all the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals. But a helper perfect for him was nowhere to be found.
Genesis 2:19-20
Humans are interconnected with all of Godâs creation, but we have a way of communication that is unique to our species.
Rose, my sisterâs dog, understands everything I say. I like to believe that she shares in my joys and frustrations. When I ask her for advice on what to do, she twists her head to the side. She barks. My sister calls me âthe dog whispererâ for I interpret (at least I think I do) what Rose says. In reality, Rose doesnât share my type of communication.
Can you imagine how the human must have felt being around all those majestic creatures and species, and none of them could share the humanâs type of communication?
We are just like the human in the scriptures. We, too, need someone to whom we can talk and relate, a fellow human to understand us. God has placed each of us in a community of humans to share our joys and frustrations, to play or simply enjoy life together. Although we may not be perfect, we can be open to growing into perfection together while doing life in community.
Crystal Rook
Question to Ponder:
Think of a time when you felt truly understood by another person. What was that like?
Creator of the animals in the sky, land, and the sea, I am grateful that you are our help in times of our greatest need. Thank you for providing someone for me to talk to. Thank you for listening.
Amen.
Open our eyes to see everyone in our community.
Increase our hearing to listen to your creation.
Bless our hands to help those who need our help.
Open our hearts to receive everyone.
Teach us to be in community.
Water and grow us into Ubuntu â the essence of being human.