Across the roof tops, I saw Holy Spirit moving, tipping from the cup of His hand, humility. And gracefully, pricelessly it wafted down through the roofing, the beams, inner walls to the assorted activities of each in the dwelling.
Some saw it
and caught it.
Others moved oblivious to it.
While more, catching the glint of something, reached towards it.
Humility.
He is whispering, humility.
It signals a certain openness to life’s grandeur. A willingness to be surprised by the unknown, uplifted by the curiosity in uncertainty
A capacity to be open to something greater than oneself.
In it’s presence is a perception and language in which the “I” is silent so that what is heard is the unspoken call beneath human speech
The divine whisper within all that moves
The voice of otherness
that opens to THE world.
It is the orphaned virtue of our age. And does it matter that it no longer fits the confines of our age?
Image Consultants. Social Media Profiling. Selfies. Strategic language management. I Tubing.
The things that call attention to themselves are never interesting for long
And the search for meaning isn’t found in self gratification.
False humility is the pretense that one is small. True humility is a consciousness, awareness of being in the presence of greatness.
That is why it is the virtue of prophets, those who feel most vividly the nearness of God.
One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln. Not because he was perfect. Not because he was famous. Not because he has been marketed.
But because he lived for something other, something bigger than himself while not limiting himself and his gifts.
One researcher stated of Lincoln:
“He possessed an uncanny ability to empathize with and think about other people’s point of view. He repaired injured feelings that might have escalated into permanent hostility. He shared credit with ease. He assumed responsibility for the failure of his subordinates. He constantly acknowledged his errors and learned from his mistakes. He refused to be provoked by petty grievances. He never submitted to jealousy or brooded over perceived slights.”[1]
What a glorious revelation of the human spirit, humility.
In it, is the vein of moral beauty, like music, always moves those who can hear beneath the noise.
And that is exactly what pride, humility’s opponent brings. Noise and lots of it. There is nothing free about pride… in any of its forms. Nothing.
This is the raw power of humility. This intentional essence is free from pride and arrogance. Liberated it carries a down to earthliness that is clothed with dignity, knowing fully of identity.
One never forgets meeting true humility. It was the highest gift of a lifetime. Their fragrance lingers well past fleeting pompousness.
Wonder is their value.
Nations their inheritance.
[1] Doris Kearns Goodwin, remarks during speech at the TED Conference in Monterey, California, February 2008, http://www.ted.com/talks/doris_kearns_goodwin_on_learning_from_past_presidents.html