Humanity is Community

The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton explains why the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ is one of the themes of her Moderatorial year.

UBUNTU, a term from Southern Africa, difficult to grasp in English, but most closely translated ‘I am because you are’. What a profound and powerful truth. We cannot be human without others to be human with – humanity is community.

I’ve chosen this concept as one of my themes for the year, as it feels to me that one of the deepest and most impactful gifts faith communities offer is that embracing of ‘ubuntu.’

The world is going through a turbulent time, and the Church of Scotland is not exempt. Ubuntu has rarely been more important to hold to. How do we equitably share our limited resources? How do we gather round our most vulnerable first, rather than circling our personal wagons at the risk of shutting them out? How do we ensure love-driven justice is at the centre when so many of our current systems were created to offer great advantage to a few at the expense of so many?

I am only a month into this extraordinary year, but I have already seen so many glimpses of ubuntu, and it is inspiring! The General Assembly was enriched by our ecumenical, international and interfaith guests, and a consensus message emerged as we explored together – together is where we are called to be. The Chief Rabbi spoke powerfully about the healing work our two communities have begun in producing the Jewish/Christian glossary, reminding the Assembly that ‘the most important ingredient of constructive dialogue is not what you say, but how you listen’.

We heard uniting words from the Right Rev Lydia Neshangwe, Moderator of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of South Africa. When reflecting on why she and others made the journey to Edinburgh, she said: “We come to your General Assembly… because we are members of one family, ‘the body of Christ’. And families do things together… We come because we want to accompany you and walk with you as we together try to discern what God would have us do. We come because, at the core, we all have the same hopes and dreams.”

Ubuntu – I am because you are. Since the Assembly, we have followed up on imaginative ways of working together. At the Scottish Episcopal Church Synod, a decision was endorsed to enable ministers from the Church of Scotland to offer communion in Scottish Episcopal Churches, and that invitation is reciprocated in the Church of Scotland. A commitment to work together whenever and wherever we can is shared across the ecumenical landscape in Scotland and it heralds great hope for our Christian witness.

There have also been poignant moments that bring home the truth of our interconnectedness. At the Memorial Service at Edinburgh Castle, religious, civic and military remembered the loss and hardlearned lessons of war. All around us in that sacred space were symbols and stories of, cries and prayers and calls for peace. No glorification of war there. No, in that place is the deep acknowledgement that when humanity lifts weapons, we collectively let each other down. And one of the most humbling things I have learned is that those called on to make that excruciating choice, agree. The most profoundly real memorial we can ever offer them is peace. Ubuntu.

We have, as a church, spoken out with others, calling for reconsideration of the ‘illegal migration bill’, asking that love drive decisions of our treatment of sisters and brothers. We are working with CrossReach and the Diocese of Glasgow to campaign for fair pay for social work. Ubuntu, I am because you are.

What a journey we are on together! Every step, we move as one body of Christ!