Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting brief snippets from Randy Frazee's book, "Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships." These will be brief thoughts from the book that I found particularly challenging and thought-provoking."If we hope to be successful in truly making room for life, we’re going to have to rebuild our current lifestyles on a new foundation. We cannot simply pour more money and energy into the paradigm of crowded loneliness. Managing an endless number of disconnected linear relationships is exhausting. But more than just making us tired, this way of life is toxic. We were created with a connection requirement, and if this requirement is not satisfied, we will eventually die." (27)
"Without boundaries, Americans have taken the concept of self-identity to a new level afforded them by wealth. In America, success is defined by the next purchase. In other places around the world success is defined by a simple meal and conversation with family and friends." (28)
"South African Anglican minister the Reverend Desmond Tutu has coined the term that exposes a richer foundation for living – one built on community and conversation in contrast to individualism and accumulation. The term is ubuntu. Ubuntu is African for “people” and has come to represent a community theology that can be expressed in the phrase “we, therefore I am.” This powerful phrase suggests that one’s identity is formed by community. One of the fundamental beliefs of ubuntu can be expressed in the African saying motho ke motho ba batho ba bangwe/umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, which means “A person can only be a person through others.” In other words, our perceived value goes up in proportion to our investment in community. This teaching implies that we were designed with a connection requirement. I’d further suggest that this belief structure is more in keeping with what God had in mind when he created us." (29)
"Without boundaries, Americans have taken the concept of self-identity to a new level afforded them by wealth. In America, success is defined by the next purchase. In other places around the world success is defined by a simple meal and conversation with family and friends." (28)
"South African Anglican minister the Reverend Desmond Tutu has coined the term that exposes a richer foundation for living – one built on community and conversation in contrast to individualism and accumulation. The term is ubuntu. Ubuntu is African for “people” and has come to represent a community theology that can be expressed in the phrase “we, therefore I am.” This powerful phrase suggests that one’s identity is formed by community. One of the fundamental beliefs of ubuntu can be expressed in the African saying motho ke motho ba batho ba bangwe/umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, which means “A person can only be a person through others.” In other words, our perceived value goes up in proportion to our investment in community. This teaching implies that we were designed with a connection requirement. I’d further suggest that this belief structure is more in keeping with what God had in mind when he created us." (29)
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