The foundational Christian virtue – the one that precedes repentance, compassion, thanksgiving, and patience is humility.  James, Peter, and Paul (James 4.6-10, I Peter 5.6-7, and Philippians 2.1ff) all emphasize this virtue’s primacy.  Humility typifies the attitude of Christ.  Humility precedes God’s “lifting us up”.  Jesus told the story of a publican who could not even lift his eyes toward heaven yet went away justified, and also told us to seek the lowest seats.  

  Peter was called to be a fisher of men after he fell at Jesus’ feet and said “Lord get away from me I’m a sinful man.” (Luke 5.8)

          Humility is uniquely elusive among the virtues we seek to cultivate.  Ben Franklin, in his autobiography, admits to acquiring all the virtues he sought except humility.  He had to be satisfied with acquiring the “appearance” of it.  We boisterous, successful Americans are more comfortable with Walt Whitman’s “barbaric yawp” than we are Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody.”  Even if we grasp its definition, humility is about as easy to hold on to as a snowflake.  Screwtape advised Wormwood that he could corrupt his human by simply getting him to think about his own humility.

            How do we acquire it then?
            Once acquired, how do we maintain it?
            I have not correctly framed our question.
            Humility is NOT acquired.  It is affected.  It is caused by presence.

            Why did Peter drop to his knees?  Because he realized Christ’s presence.  He knew whose gaze was upon him, and he felt as naked and ashamed as Adam in the garden.  Those “Humble yourselves” passages cited above take place in the presence of the Lord, and by the mighty hand of God.  Humility is not a matter of how, it is a matter of where.  It is a result of coming face to face with the Divine, and of understanding our own smallness in comparison.

            Ironically then, the prerequisite to humility is boldness - not self-seeking pride – I mean the boldness to enter God’s presence (the pride-free zone) because we are invited there.  We are bold, too, because we fully expect that presence to be effective (Hebrews 4.14-16).  Humility, then, is an act of boldness, based upon grace.  If that doesn’t boggle the mind, nothing will.

¹from Goblin Market and Other Poems
²from God’s Trombones

 

Give me the lowest place: or if for me
           That lowest place too high, make one more low
Where I may sit and see
            My God and love Thee so.

                                    Christina Rosetti¹ 

O Lord, We come this morning
Knee-bowed and body bent
Before Thy throne of Grace.
O Lord – this morning
Bow our hearts beneath our knees
And our knees in some lonesome valley.
                                    James Weldon Johnson²

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