If a stranger came up to you and said “Sawubona”, would you know how to respond?
Yesterday, I heard a compelling leader originally from South Africa who among other things was talking about his efforts to build a vibrant community in a very impoverished urban setting. At the conclusion of his talk, he mentioned that the Zulu people of South Africa use the greeting “Sawubona” and their response “Ngikhona”. The literal meaning behind these words is beautiful and I’ll explain in a minute….
How many times in each and every day do we pass strangers on the sidewalk, interact with the store check-out person, or in countless other ways have an opportunity to greet someone we don’t know? How often to do choose to offer only an obligatory “hi”, “hey”, a disengaged smile, or worse yet, no acknowledgement at all? How many “friendly strangers” do we have in our life that we know nothing about – people who we have never spoken to and yet we see them as part of our routine every day? Are we really too busy to offer someone a genuine smile and greeting that is truly meaningful to them, even if we don’t know them?
What impact might we have on both them AND US if we consciously (and in time, unconsciously) choose to really connect with these people, even if only briefly?
Back to our Zulu words…what struck me about these words is the gift behind them: “Sawubona” literally means “I see you”. In the Zulu community, if you just walk past someone without greeting them properly, regardless of whether you know them or not, it is considered very offensive because what you are actually communicating to them is that they do not exist in your eyes, or that they don’t matter enough to bother greeting them. So in the Zulu community, you can count on always being greeted.
The response “Ngikhona” means “I am here” , “I am validated”, “I matter”.
It reminds me of a quote that I love by Philip Toshio Sudo, “Speak directly from your heart to the heart of your listener, as if passing the flame of a candle.”.
What a much more life-affirming approach compared to our all-too-habitual obligatory acknowledgement or disinterest in connecting with a stranger! Think back to a time when a stranger made an effort to “see you” – how differently we feel when leaving such an encounter! What a simple step we can take as leaders to build and connect our communities just a little bit more strongly.
So my challenge for all of us…begin again! The next time (which will likely be today!) that you pass or interact with a stranger, remember the meaning behind these Zulu greetings, remember to pass the flame from your heart to theirs, and make the effort to really see that other person for who they are.
Then tell this community below what you noticed about their reaction, what you noticed about your own reaction, and what you will do differently going forward.
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