Uphill idealist

There is a new app that is incredibly popular this week, the FaceApp . While there is a great deal of controversy on privacy, the source of the app, and the use of it to see what you may look like when you are "old"; I've been thinking about it and what I saw when I saw myself from a more aged perspective. In a world where there is so much emphasis on staying young, I wonder if we may have forgotten the importance of the wisdom that the advancement of years brings? Today would mark Nelson Mandela's 101's birthday, and as person of significant wisdom, he said this in regard to elders: Elders', "support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.” Courage in fear - agreement in conflict - hope where there is despair There gifts of elders: courage, peacemaking and hope; are things so needed in our homes, communities, work and world. So why is it that seeing ourselves as elder...

Image found at My Hero Project There is the idea of "No man or woman is an island.” The philosophy of Ubuntu lifted up by South African culture to promote balance of relationships within community, says we are not complete when left solitary. “South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95. Mr. Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities.”( BBCNews Article ) In honor of Nelson Mandela’s life and his death this week – it’s timely to ponder the importance and meaning of “Ubuntu”. President Mandela was a man that risked everything in order to stand up against the injustice of Apartheid. This challenge was not one without fear, but fear did not keep him from stepping into the fray - for the restoration of justice for others. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he...

Image found @ Rantings of a Creole Princess I've completed to excellent and very different books in the last week. One is 'Speaking of Faith' by Krista Tippett and the other (which I started and finished on Sunday) is 'I'm proud of you' by Tim Madigan. I first came across the word: ubuntu in Tippet's book where she explains it from South African friends perspective as suggesting " HUMANITY : Ubuntu says - I am through you and you are through me. To the extent that I'm estranged from another person, I am less than human." ( Tippet pg 182). In Madigan's book, he defines Ubuntu as: "I am because we are... my identity is such that it includes you. I would be a very different person without you." (Madigan, pg 7) There is the idea of "No man or woman is an island.", in the philosophy of ubuntu - but there is more going on with the word than saying we are not solitary. Ubuntu reflects the balance of relationships within...