Open to the Spirit

Today’s word: “Humility”

1) In the order of the story of creation, we are told that humans were created last in part so that God could remind them if they get too haughty that even the mosquitoes preceded them in creation. While we may think that we are the pinnacle of all life, this juxtaposition helps us remember our place in the universe and maybe can force us to do more to take care of others and ourselves with a bit more humility. If we live our lives standing a little too tall because we think that we are better than everyone else, then we may be tempted to take advantage of others, to believe that our needs are all that matters. This leads to suffering and makes it difficult for people to get along. A little humility never hurt… but having humility is not always a good thing.

According to Musar, the system of Jewish ethics, we get a very strong reminder that while humility is a positive character trait, there are also times when it can get in the way. In one well known story from the

Talmud, we are even told that the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Rabbi Zecharya, who in a key moment decided to not make an important decision. His decision to not step up when he was needed led to a chain reaction of events that changed the course of history.

There are other places where too much humility can get in the way of moving forward in our lives. Stepping into a job interview, we need to do what is necessary to show ourselves off, to stand with pride as we explain our skills and background. Too much humility could easily prevent us from expressing what is necessary. When we need to step up a fight for something we believe in, such as an important cause or an important relationship, we need to stand tall and put up a good fight for what we believe in.

Acting with humility does not necessarily mean only trying to not stand out, but it means limiting oneself to an appropriate space to leave space for others. In our lives there are times when we need to step back and allow others to fill this space. When someone we care about is in need of our help and all they need is a listening ear and a compassionate heart, we need to leave the necessary space for this support. When someone is feeling down and needs to be raised up, they need us to step back and help make them proud. Yet there are also times when others need our wisdom and our experiences, and the best way to help is by stepping up and offering a bit of our wisdom.

To show humility, let’s take up just the right amount of space.

2) Our word today is humility. This is a quality that we see less and less in our world today and especially in our politicians. I think perhaps people don’t really understand what this quality means. Many associate being humble with being weak, or failing. Many people think that to succeed in life you must be arrogant, and praise your own accomplishments and denigrate those of your rivals. I totally disagree.

I suspect that this perspective come from not knowing what humility really is. It means you aim to continually listen, receive, and respond with generous openness to life. We do not pursue selfish goals that help only ourselves. Humility is not complacence. It has actions. We begin with listening, being aware of the people around us and their life situations. This leads to an understanding of what is needed to make our communities more caring and helpful. Finally humility leads us to respond in real constructive ways to make our world better. Actions speak louder than arrogant words.

One of my favourite Bible stories is the time Jesus’ three most prominent disciples were arguing. They were talking about the world of the future, when Jesus came to power. They even asked him “Which of the three of us will be the greatest in your new kingdom?”. This sounds a question that many prominent people in our world might ponder.

I sense that they expected Jesus to choose between them and declare their greatness. As usual, Jesus surprised them with a very different response. He called a little child to stand among them, and said unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest. This is a message many of our modern day leaders need to hear.

I have fond memories of playing a Board Game called Careers as children We began by creating a success formula, based on 3 categories, Fame, Money and Happiness. We had 60 points, and divided them up; for example, 30 points of Fame, 10 of happiness, and 20 of money. Our goal was to finish accumulating our points. Unlike other games, the richest player did not necessarily win. When we chose some careers

According to Musar, the system of Jewish ethics, we get a very strong reminder that while humility is a positive character trait, there are also times when

it can get in the way.

Acting with humility does not necessarily mean only trying to not stand out,

but it means limiting oneself to an appropriate space to leave space for others. In our lives there are times when we need to step back and allow others to fill this space.

in the game, like entertainment, we achieved fame. When we chose business, we made lots of money. When we chose agriculture we gained happiness, but little money of fame. Growing up on a farm, I totally understood that career. The game was lots of fun, and taught us a great deal about life.

Now that I think about it, that list of life goals has something missing. A pursuit of fame, money, and happiness may make our lives better, but does not make the world a better place. Perhaps it’s time to add humility to our success formula.

Again this week only 2 voices, but lots of thoughts about humility. How do you understand the word?