Reflections on South Africa

Africa never fails to mark me in some way, every time I go there. When I am still, it's as if there is a barely indiscernible drumbeat or heartbeat. And if I could just get a little more still, then I would be able to hear it. But I do feel it in my soul.

When I lived in Johannesburg, I was about 20 minutes from one of the birthplaces of mankind – Sterkfontein. There are more varieties of birds than in any other place I've ever been. Life flourishes in abundance and in many different forms in that part of the world – an energetic "for-ness" for life.

I was telling someone how interesting it was that when I had about 15% or more black South Africans on a More To Life Weekend, the meditation on Sunday morning always deepened to a more sacred place than usual. He said he knew why, so naturally I asked why.

According to his theory, each race developed a specific mastery – the Orientals developed mastery of the physical body, the Whites developed mastery of the physical environment, the Latinos developed mastery of the familial environment, and the Blacks developed mastery of spiritual embodiment (as in being present to the 'here and now' – cuz if you're not present to the here and now in the jungle, your genes don't get passed on). (I don't remember what he said about the other races.)

I thought that was an interesting theory. Whether it's true or not, it does remind me that we all need each
others' gifts – whether it's men/women, teamwork in companies, international cooperation, or meshing the gifts of all the races.