HUMILITY

December 02, 2009

HUMILITY


Years ago I remember a quick joke line was: "Have you heard about the new book that is out? It's titled: Humility and how I achieved it."

Recently I have had a number of experiences that moved me rather strongly towards that book title becoming a reality :) ...but I want to speak of just one.

I came across a web site - www.nasa.gov - that features pictures taken by Hubbel the incredibly powerful telescope that continually prowls and shoots pictures of deep space. One particularly caught my eye (crab nebulae, I believe) and for a time I focused on it - infinately far away, ablaze with blues and greens, and sprays of million-mile red gasses....and whose size means that our galaxy would fit nicely into one small corner of it.

I just stared and got transported into a new realm....that of overwhelming, living humility.

Oh, God, if all this is out there -
and on this speck called earth, I am but a miniscule group of atoms called human.
Oh, God, how can I ever rise up with anything but a soft spirit before You and my fellow pilgrims?
How can I ever live in a spirit of less than wonder?
How can I ever worship You without giving you my whole heart and mind?

And then it was like the words from a hilltop (at night) started calling to me....written by one who sat night after night watching over his sheep....and whose heart and wisdom propelled him finally to the highest ranks of his land as King.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (See all of Psalm 8)

So my first Christmas wish is that we like wise men of old, may take time to marvel at the heavens, look up and wonder, and live in a state of humble servanthood while on earth.

Jesus coming was signaled from the cosmos.

May we live in the light of what the cosmos was meant to do in us.


David