We as humans have a lot in common, more than we consciously think of.
We share a basic humanity, we are born at some point and will certainly pass away at some point. Those of us who are more conscious of this common humanity tend to be there for others, and history has plenty of examples of those who know deep in their hearts that there is much more that defines our common humanity and less in which we are different.
There is this other aspect of our humanity that really defines us as humans, one that we are not always conscious of. This is our common woundedness.
We are all vulnerable, brittle, breakable, wounded. Each of us carries in him or her some wounds, some come and go, some are here to stay. We live with them. We live with a mystery.
We are all the walking wounded. No exceptions.
Like you, every day I hear stories of family members, friends, neighbours, and others who are going through some pain—spiritual, mental, or physical.
People will respond “fine” when you ask them how they are doing, but they cannot really tell you what they are going through, often because we are too busy to listen, perhaps because we have our own painful stories that we rather not share with everyone.
We hear of deaths, of people being sick.
You need not go far to hear the stories of our common woundedness.
Most of the news gives us a big dose of these bad news, until we almost forget that there is also plenty of good news.
Lots of good news.
We need to share more of this good news.
Who of us has not heard of people losing their family members, friends, neighbours, fellow citizens?
Who of us has not heard of horrible accidents, of people who have been hurt by their own, who have been betrayed in love, in money, in agreements?
And here comes the most important part of this reflection.
There are many of us who will let us cry on their shoulder in our woundedness.
They cry with us and when it is time to laugh, they laugh with us.
Our most profound call as humans, therefore, is to be there with others in their woundedness, to be with them, to share those moments with them.
I cannot think of a better way to express our common humanity.
📧 Prof. Raymond S. Mosha
📞 (+255) 769 417 886
📩 mosha@depaul.edu
