Great
Humility
“The
first test of a truly great man is his humility. By humility I don't
mean doubt of his powers or hesitation in speaking, but merely an
understanding of the relationship of what he can say and what he can
do.”
John Ruskin
Did
you know that the word 'humility' comes from 'humus', meaning dirt?
It connects us with the Biblical reminder that humanity was made from
the soil of the earth, and will return there—ashes to ashes, dust
to dust. (Genesis 3:19) Life, as James Barrie wrote, is but one long
lesson in humility. And that's a good thing.
When
I was a kid, I spent many a clear summer night lying on the ground
looking up at the Milky Way, with its billions and billions of stars.
Just realizing how marvelously insignificant we are in such an array
is grounding. Humility is not bad, it's reality.
We
get a good dose of humble pie when Mother Nature rises up and
demolishes with one great smack, things that we've taken for granted
for decades. Just yesterday, a tornado ripped the roofs off several
houses in North Birmingham. I guess nobody told the Great Mother that
this is not the right season for her to be pillaging. Who's got the
chutzpah to do that?
Being
'of the earth' is a blessing. It is the rich, black soil from which
all things grow—from tiny, lime-green spikes of moss to the
grandiose red woods. It contains nutrients necessary for the life of
all species on this planet. Humility is essential to our growth, too.
Pride, on the other hand, precludes leaning anything because no one
can teach you. You're above it.
We
get mega doses of egotism every single day from our politicians, our
media moguls, our revered athletes and pop-stars and, lord knows,
from reality television. Let the rest of us mere mortals hold the
ground in humility lest we all float away on the hot air.
In
the spirit,
Jane
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