"I am
what I am because of who we all are". – Leymah Gbowee.

Note: Today's reflection is offered by guest contributor Amy Martin.

Sometimes in life we come across terms, phrases or
concepts that stay with us, ideas that permeate our dreams, our perspectives.  Oftentimes, those ideas are foreign or misinterpreted
when they are translated into other languages. 
Several months ago, while reading and researching for my doctoral
coursework, I encountered one of those concepts.  It has been with me ever since.

Ubuntu
is a term
derived from indigenous African languages and is a core sociological and
philosophical archetype.  Although Ubuntu
is a way of life in Africa, it is a concept that is beyond a simplistic
understanding.  It may be most known to
the world by the writings and teachings of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu who
have both so simply and elegantly explained and described its true nature.  Ubuntu is more than something we know as hospitality, inclusion, caring, harmony, respect, compassion or
dignity.  It is the idea that we are all
bound to one another.  It is a way of
life and a way of seeing the world. 
Ubuntu reminds us that we are all made of the same “stuff” – that we are
all inhabitants of this place we call Earth, our home.

Ubuntu can have radical recompenses for cultures that are
self-absorbed and solitary.  Think of
your own life.  When was the last time you
offered a neighbor a cup of tea or coffee? 
The challenges of our world, including fear of violence, are all
perfectly reasonable justifications for caution and restraint.  However, when we don’t know our neighbor, we
don’t know ourselves.  Let us be inspired
by Ubuntu and open our hearts and doors to others, celebrate our differences,
and enrich our own lives by providing hospitality, inclusion, respect, recognition
and humanity.

To see Ubuntu
described by Nelson Mandela, visit this short YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HED4h00xPPA

Thank you Amy Martin for sharing your heart and hospitality with all of us.

And special thank you to Artist Maria Doglio for gifting us with her beautiful artwork.