Human Dignity

I am deeply moved by this paragraph from the book “You Are Here” by David Steindl-Rast. I hope you, too, feel its spiritual power and urgency.

“…many people are not aware of their dignity. To grow into consciousness of his or her human dignity, a child needs two things: being loved unconditionally and being recognized, affirmed, and supported in its uniqueness. Because so many children today lack these two essential experiences, more and more people are feeling worthless and degraded. For adults it is difficult to make up for what they were not given in childhood. However, even adults who are in this way underprivileged can come to the insight that life gives them what they need to become aware of their dignity, even if their parents and caregivers failed to do so. We stand in the great network of life and belong unconditionally to that great community. Not only that, but life loves us and affirms us in our uniqueness. We can rely on that. There never was nor will be another human being like you, and life says yes to you just as you are.

Human dignity–our own and that of every human being–deserves top priority as subject matter in basic education today. But the misery in our world makes it almost impossible for some people to feel loved and recognized. Extreme poverty is thus a crime against human dignity and poses a most urgent challenge to the whole human family. Misery can be overcome, and according to reliable experts, this goal is within realistic reach. Each one of us needs to find a place in this enterprise and go to work without delay. Our own human dignity demands it.”

“You Are Here: Key Words For Life Explorers”
David Steindl-Rast pp. 121-22
Orbis Press