Humanism & Interdependence

In my about page I make a statement that has increasingly become more and more relevant to my life, to my beliefs, and to what I end up telling people that humanism is about:

"...It [humanism] does call us to a deep contemplation of interconnectedness, of interbeing, of recognizing the delusions of selfhood and the excesses of the ego."

What I hoped to convey, and probably still need to do better, is that Humanism is deeply committed to raising an awareness of the interconnectedness of all life. Its ethical stance recognizes that interconnection and further recognizes that in order for us, in fact for life, to fluourish we need to deeply see that interconnection and its implications. When it comes to human beings, it is our ken, our reasoned exploration and celebration of that interconnection, and the ethical and moral implications thereof, that directs us to discern the best ways to lead our lives in our world (in non-supernaturalist ways).

Hence, I was glad to recently encounter the following quote by Jone Johnson Lewis:

The human condition is that we are individuals in relationship, and there are tensions between individuality and relatedness. A humanist spirituality is not one of complete dependence, nor of complete independence -- neither condition can be defended as primary. Rather, a humanist spirituality is one of interdependence.

A humanist spirituality...? I much prefer other wording, but still the notion of interdependence is deeply resonant.