More so it speaks to the globally interconnected reality we all live in. If I had added sugar (which I don't put in coffee) it could likely have come from the Philippines.
In many ways this reflects the mutuality of our existence. We all depend on each other for the essential things of life - even when we are not aware of it. Too often we ignore the persons at the other end of the link and assume we are independent and can manage just fine on our own. When this happens we also usually don't acknowledge the importance of equity and justice in the economic equation that keeps this interaction going. Without that many do not have adequate resources for their survival. Without equity and justice we cannot create a sustainable peace.
So we need each other - our mutual existence depends on giving and receiving. Henri Nouwen speaks to one aspect of this in his Daybook, Bread for the Journey: “Nobody is so poor that he or she has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich that he or she has nothing to receive.” These words by Pope John Paul II offer a powerful direction for all who want to work for peace. No peace is thinkable as long as the world remains divided into two groups: those who give and those who receive. Real human dignity is found in giving as well as receiving. This is true not only for individuals but for nations, cultures, and religious communities as well. A true vision of peace sees a continuous mutuality between giving and receiving. Let’s never give anything without asking ourselves what we are receiving from those to whom we give, and let’s never receive anything without asking what we have to give to those from whom we receive.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. (2009-03-17). Bread for the Journey: April 2, A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith. Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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