Fellow Human Beings
PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
December 15, 2021
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS
Douglas Abrams in The Book of Joy (Avery, 2016) chronicles a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Dharamsala, India, on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the Dalai Lama. The author and the two world leaders come from very different religious backgrounds. Abrams is Jewish, the Dalai Lama is Buddhist and the Archbishop is a protestant Christian. Yet in their discussions they find many areas of common ground that give clues as to how one might experience joy, no matter what one’s background.
A point that the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu come back to over and over again is the importance of seeing everyone on this earth as fellow human beings. The Dalai Lama makes a distinction between a first level of relating with each other –the human — with a secondary level in which we focus on our differences. Joy is to be found when we learn to look at others from the perspective of the first level.
The Dalai Lama came to seeing the importance of seeing everyone in the world as his brother and sister when he was forced to leave Tibet. Before leaving he led a very isolated life in which he did not interact much with the world outside his compound. This isolation and being the Dalai Lama separated him from others. In exile he came to see himself as just one of the billions of people on this earth.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu came to this understanding of seeing others first on the human level and then on a secondary level when he was involved with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. He came to see those who had persecuted his people as fellow human beings who each had their own story to tell. This helped him and many others forgive those who had treated his people in such horrible ways. This paved the way for a new South Africa.
One of the closing songs of this year’s Maxinkuckee Singer’s Christmas show was Heaven Everywhere. The song points out that at Christmas we are reminded that the primary level at which all of us relate is the human. In verse three it talks about “the smile of a man who has finally found hope,” “the tears of a mother whose child has come home,” “the joy that we feel and the love that we share.” These are all expressions that we share at a human level.
In Jesus the kingdom of God broke into human experience. Still today there are moments when this kingdom continues to break into the here and now. At such times we catch a glimpse of heaven. The fifth verse of the song says “It’s funny how it takes a holiday to show us how the world could truly change if we all took the time to really care there’s be a little more of heaven everywhere.”
During this Christmastide season may each of us be reminded of the primary way in which all of relate, the human. All of those distinctions which separate us into tribes and groups are on a secondary level. Rather than bringing us together, they have the potential to separate. Acknowledging our common humanity has the power to bring about forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, and joy.
This musing reminded me of the song by Dionne Warwick “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love”. The Dali Lama was separated from “real” people before his exile. Now, they are his focus. A number of our current politicians & leaders are separated from “real” people. Their goal is to get re-elected at any cost They need to take this musing to heart. Thank you for this inspirational musing.
I do get the comments. Hope to see you at Christmas.