This week’s “Thing I Am Loving RIGHT now” is a quote that was shared by Rabbi Rachael Bregman of Temple Beth Tefilloh at this month’s “Forward Brunswick” meeting.

The meeting (our first) was opened by Rabbi Bregman sharing some thoughts about “the sacred” (more on this at a later time as it is still marinating in my brain.) She then moved on to share a quote by Aboriginal activist Lilla Watson which goes as follows:

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

The meeting was Wednesday.

This quote hit my ears, my mind, my heart, and I have been able to think of little since.

There is A LOT to unpack with this one.

Briefly though, for me, this quote came on the heels (funny how that goes) of a conversation I had with a friend regarding the self righteousness that sometimes comes from “helping” others. It is easy to write a check, donate some clothing, some resources, some time and then drive back to a house behind security gates and feel as if we have “done our part.” As if we are somehow superior or deserving of recognition for helping our fellow man (or animal, or the environment.)

Of course these efforts are appreciated and have merit and are helpful but there is a separation, a disconnect, a difference when we do something FOR someone versus doing it WITH them. When we do FOR someone, it comes from a place of power. We are above doing for those below. But when we do something WITH someone we show that we are in this together, that we are all one.

I think until we realize (something I myself KNOW but am still working on intrinsically feeling) that we are all fully connected to the earth, the environment, our fellow man, all living things; until we realize that we are part of them and they are part of us, until we feel in our bones that their success is ours to celebrate and their failure or loss is a grief we too share, until we want to raise others up because we are bound to them and to their liberation; until this all becomes second nature, we are wasting our time and missing the point.