Building community is difficult, if not impossible, if people have lost contact with the ground as their point of strength. For it is only from a place of grounding and centeredness that anyone can give something back to their world, to their community. Without grounding people will tend to take as much from the world as possible, since they are missing the nourishment that earth offers. Yet after they have gained all the material things they need, they will still feel uncertain about themselves. It indicates that they have not yet felt invited to give something to the world. To take without prior giving is like putting the cart ahead of the horse. You are not grounded. Deep down you do not know where you come from, and therefore you are unsure about where you are going and why. Earth, the spiritual shrine of our being, is the center of being deeply human.
The Healing Wisdom of Africa, pg. 173-175
The Healing Wisdom of Africa, pg. 173-175