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We are incredible beings.In my last post I spoke of "the realization that while individual things might really stink and bad things can and will happen, the world remains a beautiful place" and I attributed that realization to Faith. Then I ran across this quote from cartoonist Hugh Macleod and I began once again to think about Humility. I don't want to get into a chicken-and-egg thing here, but it seems to me that the most important virtues, Faith, Hope, Love and Humility, are deeply intertwined. I know that the usual lineup is Faith, Hope and Love, but I wonder if any of them is possible without Humility.
We live in incredible times.
That is not the issue.
The issue is whether or not we actually believe it.
-Hugh Macleod
I think one of the most important AA sayings is "the only thing you need to know about God is that you are not one" and I wonder if Faith, Hope, or Love is attainable before you have recognized that you are not a god. As long as I believe that I must have complete control of my life I will not be able to take that first step without knowing everything there is to know about the entire staircase. So much for Faith. As long as my life depends completely on me and the little strength I have, I would have to be completely nuts to have Hope. As for Love, the narcissism of being the center of the universe screws that up pretty thoroughly.
So, I wonder if just as Pride is traditionally viewed as the foundation of the vices, Humility might be the basis of the virtues. I know very well that my ability to genuinely believe that we are incredible beings living in incredible times, that reality is in fact beautiful, is dependent on my recognition of my true place in things.
What a wonderful question? It immediately made me think of the piece by Henry Drummond entitled "The Greatest Thing in the World".
ReplyDeleteI went on retreat a couple of years ago and brought this as one of my primary pieces to read while there. I can't help but think how integral humility is to love, and feel the same is said in Drummond's piece.
This is one of the primary transformative pieces Dr. Bob used to prescribe to new people, he felt it was THAT important.
DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 310 - “I called and asked him [Dr. Bob], "What do I do for somebody who is going into D.T.'s?” He told me to give her the medication, and he said, “When she comes out of it and she decides she wants to be a different woman, get her Drummond's ‘The Greatest Thing in the World.’ Tell her to read it through every day for 30 days, and she'll be a different woman”.
http://henrydrummond.wwwhubs.com/greatest.htm