A Taste of Community

On Sunday afternoon, I had a great “taste” of community. Meagan an LSE in Ocean View whom I’ve grown close to insisted that I must have a Gatsby before I left. If you do not know what a Gatsby is let me explain: it is a heart attack on a plate. Not really, but it’s close. A Gatsby is the famous sub of South Africa that consists of lots of bread, French fries, meat, sauces, and more sauce and more grease. I am not a fan of unhealthy to the extreme that the Gatsby is, but I knew that the symbol of the Gatsby was an important one. I also knew it wouldn’t kill me to stop calorie counting in order to have this South African dish. Now, the Gatsby is a symbol of community because the thing is HUGE and one person cannot eat it alone. So, you eat it with others and when you order it they slice it for however many people. People kept on telling me that in the colored community especially Gatsby’s symbolized your community coming together to share in this delicacy. So as Meagan, Melanie, Kendra and I sat at Muizenburg beach conquering the beast that is “the Gatsby,” I couldn’t help but think on community and what that means to me.

As I ate the Gatsby with four women who have touched my life in so many ways this past semester, I felt the impact of this community here in Cape Town. The fact that I’ve had the blessing to be a part of people’s lives here is one of the greatest things from my experience here. The fact that I’ve been able to pour into as well as be poured into by so many these past 9 weeks is something I will never forget. Being surrounded by such wonderful community is what enriched my experience here. Being surrounded by such wonderful community is why I desire to come back here. From the fab five to random volunteer excursions to playing cards, walking to the store, Teens Team laughter, children’s embraces, laughter, tears, discussions about life, honesty, truth, prayer, and comfort, community engulfs me here. Yesterday walking to club the children in Ocean View ran out of their homes to give me hugs. In those moments, I knew that not only did I view this place as my community but they view me as part of their community. That meant so much. It was one of the most bitter-sweet moments of my time here because just as I feel this great sense of community, reality hits that I leave in a week. Last night as we celebrated Kendra’s birthday and I sat at the table surrounded by close, close friends it was bittersweet, too. But, I choose to focus on the sweet because I trust that this community I’ve found here is not going to end when I step on the plane and leave. I know that I will be back, but more importantly than that, I know that this community goes with me just as my community from home came with me here.

As I’ve realized all these things about my community here these past few days, I’ve been reminded of my wonderful community back home. As some of you know, one of the greatest things I took away from my first trip to Cape Town was the idea of UBUNTU: I am because we are. So much of who I am and who I’ve been here is because of YOU back home. It is because of my community the past 22 years in all the different forms it takes. It is because of my community back home that is easing the blow of leaving here and coming home. I know I am returning to a wonderful community that means so much to me.

The reality of leaving here is a painful one, but I know that I am not leaving here in spirit. And I know that I have a comforting community back home that will embrace me with open arms knowing that my life and community expanded these past 10 weeks and just as I brought my home community to South Africa, I am bring my South African community back home. So be prepared, because I am because we are. I am because of my family, my life long friends, my college pals, the RBC, my Passport days, FBC Jeff City, my DC community, Ocean View and Mountain View children, Living Hope, and all the wonderful people who are friends but have become my family these past 10 weeks here. I have a kaleidoscope of community, of UBUNTU and am so blessed. The thing is that we can all have UBUNTU if we but embrace community and importance of it. If there is one thing I’ve been constantly reminded of and know for certain from my journey of life thus far is that we were not made to live in isolation or to be alone on this journey. In community we see God at work. In community we find joy. In community we share burdens. In community we grow. In community we are because of one another.