O Lord,
it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way, I can’t wait to look in
the mirror ’cause I get better looking each day — these words from Mac Davis’
song are symptomatic of a modern malaise: I-disease. The Bible tells us that
Primal Man, Adam, too, suffered from I-disease leading to the “Fall of Man”
(Genesis, Chapter 3), which mustn’t be taken as a historical event but as
profoundly true in its message: “Pride comes before a fall”.-- Francis
GonsalvesIt’s hard to be humble
By Francis Gonsalves
May 24th, 2010
O Lord,
it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way, I can’t wait to look in
the mirror ’cause I get better looking each day — these words from Mac Davis’
song are symptomatic of a modern malaise: I-disease. The Bible tells us that
Primal Man, Adam, too, suffered from I-disease leading to the “Fall of Man”
(Genesis, Chapter 3), which mustn’t be taken as a historical event but as
profoundly true in its message: “Pride comes before a
fall”.
We’ve
seen that God moulds Adam “from the dust” (Genesis 2:7). Interestingly, while
Adam in Hebrew means “Man” (in the generic sense of “Humankind”) the Hebrew
Adamah means “earth” or “dust”. The Genesis writer wants us to realise that we
are created from dust for the right relationship with God, with other humans,
and with all other creatures. The Hindu tradition, too, stresses the intimate
bond between Man and the Earth, the Bhumidevi (goddess earth) being a Mother who
nurses and nourishes.
The
etymological root of the English “humility” is the Latin humus meaning, “dust”
or “soil”. Humility, therefore, is the virtue of one who is, quite literally,
down-to-earth and mindful of one’s grounding in God. It is the correct
estimation of who one truly is in the light of “Who God Is”. The “original sin”
of Man is not really disobedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit of the
“Tree of Life”, but pride. The tempter (symbolised as serpent) entices Adam and
Eve by promising, “You yourselves will be like gods” (Genesis 3:5). The sin of
making myself God and assuming the Absolute “I” for myself rather than the
miniscule “i” is hubris and I-disease. I-disease victims think they’re
“self-made”. No one’s “self-made” since if that were so, we’d easily be able to
alter our faces or genes. And though “Raymond” promises to make me “The Complete
Man” I must realise that I’ll always be incomplete yet “special”; for, i’m God’s
child. Of the proud person the Book of Psalms says: “The wicked in his pride
does not look very far; ‘There is no God’, is his only thought” (10:4).
Conversely, the humble realise that everything they have is “God-given” and
greatness is not really of them but through them. Humble persons tend to be
singularly compassionate, considerate and forgiving. Humility is an elusive
virtue. As soon as i think i’ve got it, i don’t. Indeed, humility implies not
thinking little of myself but not thinking of myself at all. And if i don’t
think of myself at all, then like a bashful little jasmine, oblivious of its
beauty, my fragrance will waft outwards towards other people, turning everything
and everyone Godward. The Bible warns: “For the disease of the proud there’s no
cure, since an evil growth has taken root there” (Sirach 3:28). Pride requires
uprooting. My egoistic I must be downsized to “i” and transplanted in the Garden
of Life where every human “i” is equal and loved by God.
Christians regard Jesus as epitome of humility. He taught: “Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke
14:11). He proposed children and servants as examples of humility — for their
I-lessness and their sense of service, respectively. Jesus was selfless servant
of all. “Learn from me for I’m gentle and humble of heart”, said He (Matthew
11:29) and washed his disciples’ feet in humility (John 13:1-16). Finally, he
“humbled himself even to accepting death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). That’s
why He was exalted.
Today,
don’t we spend much money on manicures and pedicures? But, I-disease requires
headicure — a change of mindset and attitude. Mac Davis’ song concludes: “O
Lord, it’s hard to be humble, but I’m doing the best I can”, while the Book of
Genesis reminds us: “Dust you are and to dust you shall return” (3:19). So let’s
do the best we can to cure I-disease by accepting our humus-origins and our
Deus-destiny.
— Francis Gonsalves is the principal of the Vidyajyoti College of
Theology, Delhi.
He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com
Source: The Asian Age
9:48 PM
Sultan Shahin
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