In my sociology class several weeks ago, a guest speaker came and talked about a number of things which were great. One of the things that he mentioned is the common Zulu greeting, sawubono. Essentially, it is used as a common greeting, our equivalent of hello. But it is the direct translation and meaning that made me think, because it literally means "I see you." That little phrase has made me think quite a bit about how I react to other people.
I thought about walking around BYU campus, or the streets of Edinburgh, or Salt Lake, and all of the many people that I pass each day. Far too often I am caught up in my own little world with my own struggles, fears and failings, and I will walk by literally thousands of people without thinking about them, or really even recognizing their existence. On the same note I read an article that talked about how the question of what we do for a living has become one of the key questions in a conversation, because employment and monetary issues have become some of the most key aspects of life. But when was the last time that we really sought to know that person, even if we only meet them once? When was the last time I really tried to learn about their passions, their dreams, their hopes? In fact, that was one of the things that I loved most about my mission, is that our focus with people was always on things that really mattered, their family, their lives, their faith, etc.
And what do we miss when we fail to see the common humanity of others? Think of the jokes that could be enjoyed, the stories and experiences that could leave us in wonder, the cultural understanding that could bring more richness to our own worldview. There is so much richness and value that could be added into our lives simply by seeking to really "see" the people around us and recognize their humanity.
Again, I realize my posts are rambling and don't always make much sense, but regardless...The idea behind this post is that humanity has so much to offer, and we have so much to offer also. Think of the hope and happiness that can come into a lonely life simply by having a small act of kindness, or a new friend. In essence, not just a simple hello will do, but instead we must try and recognize the humanity of those around us in an effort to truly say that "I see you."
