"Where in the World is UBUNTU?"

Remember "Where in the World is WALDO?"--the books and games we read and played WAY before September 11? Well, I've got a new one for you--it's not a book; it's not a game; it's UBUNTU! HUH? Where in the world is THAT? It's not a place; it's not a person; it's not even a new kind of African-Italian pizza...but you're close! Are you curious?

The word "ubuntu" (oo-boon-too) comes from the language of the Zulu tribe in South Africa--and we're about to take a missions trip there, courtesy of a wonderful missionary who had no idea when he preached a sermon last night in Springfield, MO, that it would be going around the Web--and the world--this week! Thanks, Greg--this will prove I was listening!

Rev. Greg Johns is an Assemblies of God missionary and seminary president in South Africa--and I'm just a conduit to pass on a wonderful thought to you that I believe comes straight from the heart of God for us all...it's called UBUNTU!

First, a story about COWS! If I had ten cows, and you had none--but from my heart, I wanted to be kind to you, I'd give you one of my cows--my BEST cow--that's UBUNTU! It's a Zulu word not translatable into English--the closest we get is to describe a caring, compassionate person who gives of himself to help another. But it's more than that--it's being so tightly bound with that person, that his joys are my joys; his sorrows are my sorrows--and I am not truly complete alone, but only as I bond in community with my friend in joy or in need.

When a Zulu wants to give the highest compliment or honor to describe a person or friend, it's that wonderful word, "UBUNTU" from South Africa--and where else in the world is it found? Can you guess?

It's at Ground Zero, where our heroes work tirelessly to clean up the devastation and to comfort the distressed; it's at New York's inner city churches, where volunteers give away food, medicine, help, a hug--whatever is needed--and anywhere that relief efforts are taking place after the tragedy of 9-11. It's where people have generously donated funds to relief agencies and have prayed and cried with the grieving families in a tragedy we will never forget. That's UBUNTU....but there's more!

You'll find UBUNTU all over the world, as caring people in community help others; as missionaries carry the Gospel to remote villages of our world; as professionals minister to the sick, needy, hungry and dying of our world everywhere....that's UBUNTU...but there's more!

For you see, UBUNTU originated in the heart of God...He created man to bond with Him in a caring, loving relationship that goes beyond any relationship we have ever known...He gave His best, His Son, who died on the Cross for the sins of the world. That's UBUNTU--both from the Father and from the Son, who cried from the Cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!"

So WHERE is UBUNTU? It comes from the heart of God to us--may it be found everywhere in the hearts of caring, compassionate people in our world--and especially in the Body of Christ as we reach out to hurting, hungry, sinful, dying people in our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "God, give us a heart of compassion, a heart of UBUNTU that we might give of ourselves as YOU have given to us! THAT'S UBUNTU--and it's found in YOU!"

...and that's just a faith-filled thought or two from my heart to yours!

HIGHLIGHTED LINKS: Greg and Emily Johns, missionaries to South Africa

"No Future, No Forgiveness" - an interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
(US Catholic Magazine, August, 2000)

"No Future without Forgiveness" by Desmond Tutu--(more about "ubuntu" - available at Amazon.com)

Missions Page at Peggie's Place . . . Multilingual Resources at Peggie's Place

Copyright 2001 by Peggie Bohanon, Springfield, MO. All rights reserved.
Not to be copied without permission.

A Scripture reading from His Word, our Strength

Romans 12:1-21

A song and a prayer for His all-sufficient grace

Brother to Brother--from Songs of Praise.

"Lord, I've always been a committed, caring Christian--so I thought--but today I am asking You for something deeper, a heart of UBUNTU, that cares and goes beyond the "usual" to bond with another in need in my world. Lord, whether it's a family member, a friend, a church acquaintance or a stranger I've never met, give me the true compassion of Jesus Christ to minister and to bond in Your Name and for Your Kingdom--I want to be an UBUNTU kind of Christian, In Jesus' Name, Amen."

All Scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

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