I enjoy words, but there are just some that stand tall above the rest.

And I’m not just talking simply about nice sounding words here like ‘eclectic’, ‘spelunking’ or ‘gratuitous’, but words  with meanings attached that as a concept are particularly attractive.

One word that has really grown on me in the hugest of ways over the last few years is the word as well as the concept of ‘Interdependence.’

What is particularly powerful about this word is that it emerged Phoenix-like out of the ashes of the very similiar sounding word ‘Independence’ which is a word we grew up being taught by society and the media was one of the foundations to a successful life.

Independence = It is all about me.

Interdependence = It is all about us. 

The African concept of ‘Ubuntu’ comes to mind. The idea that a person is a person through other people. The interconnectedness of people.

The Biblical concepts of ‘kingdom of God’ and the church being the [collective] ‘body of Christ’ hold fast to this idea, when lived out as Jesus called us to.

Jesus’ call to honour and love someone else above yourself [with the idea that when community is functioning as it should, the other person will be doing the same and everyone will be lifted up [as they would if they were each chasing independence] but with the added injection of relationship.

i think i am a long way away from really understanding the extent of what this word interdependence means, but i am attracted to it and will continue to chase after it, hopefully alongside other people, because i imagine this is a word we will figure out well together.

And so there you have it – interdependence is another word i really like – i would LOVE to hear a word you really like…

[To see another word i really like – Uber – click here]