Tuesday 10 March 2009

Background

Arrogance

The weight of arrogance is such that 
no bird can fly carrying it.
And the man who feels superior to others, 
that man cannot dance,
the real dance when the soul takes God into its arms 
and you both fall onto your knees in gratitude, 
a blessed gratitude for life. 

St John of the Cross   (a 16thcentury Carmelite monk and mystic)

 

Those who held religious authority in Jesus' day werechallenged by him. His challenge to them often was to pay lessattention to the external practise of faith and observance, andmove into the heart - the inner condition - and its motivations anddesires.

Religious life was full of ritual: ritual dress, ritual acts,ritual feasts. Taking part in these was supposedly central toexpressing faith. The religious leaders were those who kept themost devout rituals, and led the people in theirrituals.

But the religious leaders had made their own lives thebenchmark. Their way of praying, their dress, their devotion, washeld up as the best way to please God. And, of course, this holylife meant that they had little time for the trivial everydaythings that were the stuff of life. They were kept men, removedfrom the rest of society by their devotion to God.

But we must not forget that they were people just like us. Weneed affirmation. We need to feel good about ourselves. We need tobe valued. We want to know where we fit in to life, and perhaps toGod's life.

Jesus called the leaders to humility - an inner condition -that was, and is, best expressed in serving others. Humility is nota simple choice to act in a certain way. It is a character traitarrived at by paying attention to the healthiness of our need foraffirmation, and some clarity about where we fit in, and why. It isnot an easy path, nor a short journey.

To Ponder

In what ways do you feel affirmed, that youbelong, that you are valued? By whom?

Where are the uncertainties for you in theseareas?

What are you good at? What are you proud of? Whatachievements or attitudes define you, large or small?

Who are the humble people that you know? Whatexperiences have you had that were humbling?