Humility

These Pages were begun for me in private interest for family members – in writing to make sure they understood what I was about in life, both as a family person and as a member of society – for living the Christian life order, as biblically outlined. The approach was to accent the common grace offered to all persons in world nature – and divine grace for those fulfilling requirements and desire to incorporate it. This was to include my thought and conduct in which I practiced being my own person in the variant contexts of other persons. I neither wanted to be a hypocrite nor did I want to offend those who did not share my context for life. That is sometimes difficult to sustain, especially if human fellowship is more than merely the exchanges of greetings and good wishes. We need personal and social conduct that permits us to live at peace and respect with others, but also with the recognition that it is not possible to meet all expectations of persons – even from ourselves. There is room enough in the world for variant communities, and processes that permit persons to live in peace. Peace honors God in his creation, and affords the lengthening of time periods for adjustments and solutions. An important agreement ought to be that all persons and nations are committed to making the world a better place for the children of the future than it has been in the past. Common grace is the gift of God to all mankind. We may treat it carelessly.

In the passing of years and meeting often with collegians, I was especially touched by the paucity of thought that students related to their studies and life, and that including their parents about their children in higher education. The concern relates to education gravitating away from young adults in effective life context (first cause) to professional interest (second cause) becoming primary. This has meant gravitating away from Christian education for personal benefit with values in both common and divine grace. The shift has been tantamount to decline in personal education and increase to training for economic benefit. I have one foot firmly in liberal arts and the other in skill training for all persons who will receive them. They need not be separated. They serve each other in their distinctive ways, but the first meaning is for the development of the person – an ancient concept that continues presently in what we call the liberal arts – and will continue for the future. Ultimately I felt that my goal was to try to reach all persons with an interpretation of the day-by-day life of the Christian person faced with pressure to find fulfillment through practice of self in family and employment related to material accumulation for life years to ultimate death.

An aging, eminent writer was asked what his purpose might be for the few years left to him. He responded that human beings can best learn about self when they have learned humility. He wished, more than anything else, to learn genuine humility, and practice it — with himself, his family, his friends. He was not greatly concerned about the humility or lack of it in others, but the discovery of genuine humility in his own person is: everything to me before I die. In a society that values aggressive behavior for success, it comes as something of a shock to discover that part of the way to peace of heart and soul, the formula for happy relationships includes a way of genuine humility. It flowers with a humility that brings the individual in relationship with Jesus Christ. The real man of God and the future will not be tied to great concerns about his/her self-worth, but in identity with the humble Jesus. We are lifted in Hamlet’s magnificent description of the human being but larger truth rests in Jesus’ words. His call is to mankind in love, service, grace, creativity, peace – all threaded with humility in the understanding that none of us could make it without gifts from somewhere that daily sustains it all. The world and life are too much for us without help. There is too much to know, do, and encounter in personal barriers and nature’s vagaries. God is partly understood in his sense of interest that he doesn’t abandon his creation, so is ready to serve earth’s children. A part of his likeness in his children is also to serve the needs found in all creatures of nature. All life is here from his creative design. He maintains interest in his creation even when there is no faith. He gave us life, but we have a say in our outcomes. Our children played a game, House, when they were small in mimicking mom and dad. We need a parable game of God’s service. Parable from God leads to heaven’s faith.