The Humble

I always thought that the word human was from the root word man.  According to my dictionary that is wrong.  It comes from the word humus meaning earth, or dirt.  The same root word gives us the word humble. Now I can’t think of being human without being reminded that I am from the earth.  That’s humbling. 

 

At the same time, I realize that as humans we have come a long way from humus. There is a spirit within us that lifts us beyond the mere forces of evolution.  We do not need to look at ourselves and others as only dirt.  We are also filled with the spirit that reflects divine ideas and directs divine actions. We are capable of compassion, self-sacrifice and willing service. 

 

The humble people that I gladly honor are those who remember their own origins and yet see in all others the same divine spirit that is in them. They do not think too highly of themselves, but they also do not neglect the power that is within them.    

 

From Pain or Passion

Just an observation on life – when we are motivated by pain we tend to run away or cover up, when we are motivated by our positive passions we thrive and reveal a different side of our humanity.

We can endure much when we care about something in a positive way. Is there anything more positive than love?

 

Evolving Justice

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            If your childhood was like mine, you were taught to obey the law to the letter.  The rule of law was deemed a supreme value.

 

            It is a mistake, however, to equate the rule of law with justice.  The concept of justice evolves as a society evolves.  Laws are enacted and revoked according to the current felt needs of a society or whim of the lawmaker. Sometimes that means fear and the need for self-preservation.  At other times that may mean greed and a desire to hold on to power and privilege.

 

As a person of faith I have a vision of a just society where each person has full human rights and is treated with dignity.  While I understand the need for the rule of law and I respect it, I will evaluate every law according to the vision of the promised land of my faith.

 

My ancestors could leave crushing poverty and military oppression by physically leaving the lands of their birth.  We do not often have that opportunity.  More often the promised land is not another place, but the future of the places where we live.  We must engage in the hard work of shaping our society into the more just society we see by faith.  That requires we set aside both fear and greed, we sacrifice our desires for power and privilege, and we move from the felt need for self-preservation to the self-sacrifice that love compels for the good of others.

 

Live according to the law of your land, but work to help make those laws just.

 

 

Great Wall of China Syndrome

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We are fascinated by the Great Wall of China.  It is a massive undertaking.  Whether it was ever effective is debatable.  What we do know is that it was built to keep out an enemy.  The enemy is now gone, but the wall remains.

 

             How many more walls remain long after the perceived enemy is gone?  We label a group an enemy.  Sometimes that was reality at the time.  Our survival and well-being were threatened. We stay behind our wall.  The label enemy is still attached to the other in our psyche.  We do not realize that the other has changed.  Their attitude toward us may be apathy or even benevolence, but our attitude toward them is still enmity.

 

            Where does this show up?  It shows up in our immigration policies.  It shows up in the post-war attitudes between nations often.  It shows up in inter-racial relationships.  It shows in personal relationships.

 

             Defense mechanisms are justified, but too often they become our personal Great Walls.  “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.” “Don’t ever let them see you sweat.”  As legitimate as these sayings are, they come from an attitude of distrust and fear.  We do not want to let our vulnerability show.  We have been hurt.  We do not want to be hurt again.

 

             Henry Nouwen said “We can live in the house of love or we can live in the house of fear, but we cannot live in both.”  How do we get from one house to the next?  “Run, Forest, run!” The running developed Forest’s body.  Eventually he decided to stop running.  The reason for running was no longer there.

 

             “Fearful is as fearful does.”

 

             Can you tear down your wall?  Can you stop running away?  Can you move into the house of love?