Faith and Politics – Humility

Over the past few days, we’ve raised the question: How do we, as followers of Jesus, engage the culture and politics of our day?   

Yesterday we reflected on the need to listen to one another with basic kindness. Today, I’ll simply add the need for humility. 

There’s a great story about the famous Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.  He was in his kitchen, musing out loud one evening, “I wonder how many truly great college football coaches there have ever been?”  And his wife shot right back, “Probably one less than you think!” 

It is important to have people in our lives who keep us humble. 

We are broken people. No matter how much we think we know, no matter how much we’ve studied or prayed, and no matter how well intended – we often are wrong. 

There is no doubt, the Bible is crystal clear about the need for followers of Christ to remain humble. 

1 Peter 5:5 reads, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 

Proverbs 16:5 says, “Arrogance is an abomination to the Lord.”

It’s written in Philippians 2, “Let the same mind be in you, as was in Christ Jesus… who humbled himself…”

Our prayer today was written by Thomas Merton. Let us pray:  O God, we are one with You. You have made us one with You. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, You dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. Oh God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept You, and we thank You, and we adore You, and we love You with our whole being because our being is in Your being, our spirit is rooted in Your spirit. Fill us then with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes You present in the world, and which makes You witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious. Amen.