How have you chosen to honor you Humanity? Does this resonate with you?

Question

the following is paraphrased, and inspired the question:

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And how have you chosen to honor your humanity? What is there left for us if all of creation falls around us? There is nothing. No hope, no dream, no future, no life. Unless we turn from the cycle of conflict toward something greater. If we are a dying people, then let us die with honor, by helping the others as no one else can.

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I don't understand.

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Because you have let them distract you. Blind you with hate. You cannot see the battle for what it is. We are fighting to save one another. We must realize we are not alone. We rise and fall together. And some of us must be sacrificed if all are to be saved. Because if we fail in this then none of us will be saved, and we will be only a memory.

You have the opportunity here and now to choose, to become something greater and nobler and more difficult than you have been before. The universe does not offer such chances often

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Thanks Patois for a fantastic resonance ;-)

Answer 1

I have chosen to honor my humanity by never losing the dream of freedom for all and an end to dominations. Here is one of my favorite poems. It is of course about slavery. But, it is much much more. It is about the rise of humanity "out of the darkness, the ignorance, the night" toward grace. It is about the dream I, too, carry within me and taught my children:

Langston Hughes
1902-1967

The ***** Mother

Children, I come back today
To tell you a story of the long dark way
That I had to climb, that I had to know
In order that the race might live and grow.
Look at my face — dark as the night —
Yet shining like the sun with love's true light.
I am the dark girl who crossed the red sea
Carrying in my body the seed of the free.
I am the woman who worked in the field
Bringing the cotton and the corn to yield.
I am the one who labored as a slave,
Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave —
Children sold away from me, husband sold, too.
No safety , no love, no respect was I due.

Three hundred years in the deepest South:
But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth .
God put a dream like steel in my soul.
Now, through my children, I'm reaching the goal.

Now, through my children, young and free,
I realized the blessing deed to me.
I couldn't read then. I couldn't write.
I had nothing, back there in the night.
Sometimes, the valley was filled with tears,
But I kept trudging on through the lonely years.
Sometimes, the road was hot with the sun,
But I had to keep on till my work was done:
I had to keep on! No stopping for me —
I was the seed of the coming Free.
I nourished the dream that nothing could smother
Deep in my breast — the ***** mother.
I had only hope then , but now through you,
Dark ones of today, my dreams must come true:
All you dark children in the world out there,
Remember my sweat, my pain, my despair.
Remember my years, heavy with sorrow —
And make of those years a torch for tomorrow.
Make of my pass a road to the light
Out of the darkness, the ignorance, the night.
Lift high my banner out of the dust.
Stand like free men supporting my trust.
Believe in the right, let none push you back.
Remember the whip and the slaver's track.
Remember how the strong in struggle and strife
Still bar you the way, and deny you life —
But march ever forward, breaking down bars.
Look ever upward at the sun and the stars.
Oh, my dark children, may my dreams and my prayers
Impel you forever up the great stairs —
For I will be with you till no white brother
Dares keep down the children of the ***** Mother.

Answer 2

Well, this is just my own humble opinion here, but to me, the greatest way to "honor my humanity" is to love my fellow human beings, and to respect the environment in which we all live. To show unconditional positive regard for people, to help those who are less fortunate than I, and to be grateful for and thankful for the blessings I have in my life. I also feel it's important to explore my potentials- to discover what I am capable of, and to share these things with others. Also, to be open to celebrating the uniqueness that we all have, while embracing also the things we all have in common. I think of humanity as a collective spirit, and the things that unite us (as well as the obstacles we overcome, together and individually) stengthen us and also help us to spiritually evolve.

EDIT: "The universe does not offer such chances often"...I would disagree. The universe offers such chances more than people recognize. And, people can create such opportunities themselves, if we are wise enough to do so. Let's not underestimate ourselves. We do have the power to reach for something more. We do have inspiration, and we do have strength. Let's choose to use it for the good of mankind- and for the good of everything we come into contact with. Every animal, every tree, every plant, every grain of sand, every raindrop....all are sacred, to me....all are beautiful, and each is worthy of being cherished and honored.

Answer 3

This definitely resonates.

Here is my response:

I honor my humanity by remembering that in reality I am spirit. "I am a spiritual being having a human experience" (Unknown).

At my essence I am love. This is true of us all. So, I live out my days on this planet treating every living being with love, dignity, and respect. I am here on this planet, in this place and time, to help, to teach beautifully, to create, to heal.

Honoring my humanity also means accepting that I will falter, but that I have the God-given right and power to learn from my mistakes and correct my actions and my attitudes; remembering that where I am weak, God is strong. I surrender to that loving, guiding Force and become a part of the whole of humanity, being reminded once again that I cannot make it in this world on my own. I am "only" human, but together we are strong.

I honor my humanity by saying to the world: Namaste. (Sanskrit. Roughly trans.: The spirit within me honors the spirit within you.) And I mean it.

I honor my humanity by not complying with anyone who tries to dehumanize me by treating me as an object or as "other." We are all one. I am you, and you are me, no matter how it seems. We are free, and we are all in this together.

Thanks for posting this question, Twilight. It's a keeper.

Namaste.

Answer 4

Errrrrrrrrr: "some of us must be sacrificed if all are to be saved". You mean like sacrifing virgins by throwing them into live volcano's? Or something a little more Hitlerian like gassing the mentally defective en masse?

What about mass starvation - that will certainly eliminate ALOT of the "SURPLUS POPULATION"
Whatcha say, Mr. Scrooge?

Anyway; I feel no need to 'honour my humanity'. I was just born human, nobody asked me. The energy wasted "honouring my humanity" could be better spent honouring the natural world, and doing all I can to aid recovery in a world where each day, thousands of plant and animal species become extinct.

Answer 5

Well, the closest I've come (I think -- others may look at my life and see other things) to honoring my humanity is remembering in Whose image I was created. Other than that, humanity is by and large something that needs to be forgiven and perfected, whether or not anyone "believes" in the Christian God.

Answer 6

This poem was written just after I had an "out of body experience" Although my beliefs have changes somewhat after ten years this poem is something I wish to share.
Wayne

LET ME

Lead me safely, but don’t over protect me
Guide me to freedom
Inspire me to pursue my highest ideals
Teach me to leap over boundaries of the past
Let me see you in others
Let me feel your hand on my head again
Let me hear you call my name
Let me thank you for the Angel
That came in the night
To help me out of despair
Let me thank you for showing me that special plaque
That said you are my son
Let me be happy so I won’t deny you
Let me always remember how you told me
To know your voice
Let me act like a God
Then I am in your kingdom
Let me gain wisdom from my elders
But learn more from a child
Let me learn to forgive if I have been hurt
Let me learn to be humble
Then I have purchased wisdom
Wayne

Answer 7

Mahatma Gandhi said " You have to be very rich to be my friend".
He was alluding to being rich of spirit not monetary wealth.
We all of us, have the ability to effect change.
A smile lightens up most peoples day.
A kind word speaks volumes.
To effect change in life it is the simplest things which count.
Gandhi was so right.

Answer 8

Oh yes I support that 100%. I honor my humanity once or twice every night before I go to sleep. Fighting to save one another is what we must do. That is why women must get back to the kitchen.

Edit:

Sorry I mean men must get into the kitchen.

Edit:

Of course YOU don't want the mentally defective to be gassed en masse, Object In It's As­s.