How About a Game of Osani?

I read a story about an anthropologist who proposed a game to an African tribe's children. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first would win the sweet fruits. When he told them to run, they took each other’s hands and ran together, then sat and enjoyed the fruit together. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself, they said: “UBUNTU, 'How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?'” UBUNTU’ in the Xhosa culture means: "I am because we are." Can you imagine how much better the world would be if everyone lived by that motto? Isn't that the way God wants His kids to live?

This photo is of the Efé children of Zaire (Congo, Central Africa) playing the Osani Circle Game. The game teaches that we are much better when we work as a team and think about each other before ourselves. It teaches that each individual can achieve so much more when they approach situations with the mindset and focus on love and cooperation rather than competition. Osani (the Efé word for love),begins by sitting in a circle, feet touching, all connected. Then, for example, each child in turn names a round object like the sun, the moon, a star, an eye and then goes on to name a figurative expression of “round” like the circle of the family. What I love most in this photo is the closeness of the children -- a circle of togetherness, of community, creativity, enjoying each other's company and celebrating the different perspectives each of them bring to the circle.

I often add words to the photos I post on my blogs. In this photo's case, I picked a font that I thought looked somewhat "African" in my mind's eye. Not until I looked at it, after the fact, did I realize the i's in that font, even though it's the uppercase lettering, is still a lower case "i". Aw! Being a little i in life when it comes to wanting to have it my way, or what i want or what pleases me. It's what WE ARE together. WE share. WE love. WE serve. WE give. WE go for what's right together. WE WIN together. UBUNTU -- i AM because we ARE!

Today, I'm thinking of ways that we can join our hands and hearts together to be a part of something greater than i -- greater than my 4 and no more -- greater than "What's in it for me?" What if we began to pray and humble ourselves to become servants that live a life of "What can i do for you? What can i do for the cause? What can i do for the team? What can i do for others?” UBUNTU -- i AM because we ARE!

There is so much competition in life -- between family members, co-workers, friends, political and news pundits, and so many others. I wonder "What if we thought more like these kids...."I am...because WE ARE!" Those kids sound like the kids that God calls us to be: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3)

How about a game of Osani? i AM because we ARE!

All For One -- One For All

Add caption

Day 286 of Photo Inspirations -- All for One; One for All
Yesterday, my photo inspiration was the circle of African children who came together as a whole. They ran together for the prize -- sharing equally in their WIN.  In their language, that's called “UBUNTU,‘I am because we are.”

I, often, impose words to my photo inspirations and when I do, I look for the font that will help emphasize the words' meaning.  In that photo's case, I picked one that I thought looked somewhat "African" in my mind's eye.  Not until I looked at it, after the fact, did I realize the i's in that font, even though it's the upper case lettering, is still a lower case "i".

That made me think about this concept of being a little i in life when it comes to needing to have it my way, or what i want or what pleases me.  It's what WE ARE together.  WE share.  WE love.  WE serve.  WE give.  WE go for what's right together.  WE WIN together.  The concept of WE is so much better than i.

Then as I thought about this concept, I thought about the BIG WIN, that Martin Luther King Jr. had when he joined hands with others in the Selma-to-Montgomery, AL voting rights march that began on March 7, 1965, with 600 protesters being beaten by law enforcement officers on Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge, but the march finally ended peacefully in Montgomery on March 25, 1965, with 25,000 people converging at the state Capitol steps to hear Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The march led to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which opened voting booths to millions of black people in the South and ended "all-white" governments. Thanks be to God!!!  Look what "All for One, and One for All!" can do.

The scripture reading for yesterday's message at church was from Mark 10:43 where Jesus was straightening out James and John who were asking to sit on His left and right in heaven.  REALLY?? How stingy could they get?  They were thinking about their place in line.  They wanted to win the BIG prize of "Getting to sit next to Jesus", instead of taking the attitude of "Let's ALL join hands together and and WIN together!"  Jesus set them straight.  He said, "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant"   Those guys didn't get that this isn't a competition.  Everyone who serves Jesus will be given a seat of honor in heaven.  WOW -- instead of being the master, he encouraged them to be servants.

Today, I'm thinking of ways that we can join our hands and hearts together to be a part of something greater than i -- greater than my 4 and no more -- greater than "What's in it for me?"  What if we began to pray and humble ourselves to become servants that live a life of "What can i do for you? What can i do for the cause?  What can i do for the team?  What can i do for others that helps them to win?"   All for One -- One for All!

I Am Because We Are

Day 285 of Photo Inspirations -- I Am Because We Are
I read this story last week about an anthropologist who proposed a game to the children of an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first would win the sweet fruits. When he told them to run, they all took each other’s hands and ran together, then sat together, sharing and enjoying the fruit.

When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself, they said: “UBUNTU, 'How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?'” (‘UBUNTU’ in the Xhosa culture means: ‘I am because we are.)”

I loved that, and I found several renditions of that story on the internet, but the single message is clear.....loyalty, success and/or failure as a group becomes more important than the goals and/or possibilities of any one individual.  Can you imagine how much better the world would be if everyone lived by that motto?  Isn't that the way God wants His kids to live?

My photo inspiration for today is an image from the story behind the Osani Circle Game. The story that was circulating in the social media world taught us that we are much better when we work as a team and think about each other  -- before ourselves. It taught us that we can achieve so much more when we approach situations with the mindset and focus on love and cooperation rather than competition.

Efé children of the Ituri Forest in Zaire (Rep. of Congo, central Africa) begin the Osani game by sitting in a circle, feet touching, all connected. Osani is the Efé word for love. Each child in turn names a round object like the sun (oi), the moon (tiba), a star (bibi) an eye (ue) and then goes on to name a figurative expression of “round” like the circle of the family, togetherness, a baby in the womb, or the cycle of the moon.

What I loved  the most was the connectedness and closeness that these children hold dear to themselves. The very game is about a circle of togetherness, of community and creativity, and enjoying each other's company and celebrating the different perspectives each of them bring to the circle.

I think about the competition that we seem to have in life -- between family members, co-workers, friends, political and news pundits, and so many others, and just wonder...."What if we thought more like these kids...."I am...because WE ARE!"

Hmmm!  Those kids sure do sound like the kids that God calls us to be:    Ephesians 4:2-6, 16, 32 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

How about a game of Osani?