Humble ... and Proud of it (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

The sign read: “TALKING DOG FOR SALE.” The guy had to stop. Following the owner into the backyard, he finds an ordinary-looking dog.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the dog replies.

Shocked, and needing some time to recover, he asks, "So, what's your story?"

The dog says, "Well, when I discovered I could talk, I wanted to be useful, so I contacted the CIA. For over eight years, they jetted me from country to country, placing me in rooms with spies and world leaders. Because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping, I was one of their most valuable spies. But that life takes its toll, and I wasn't getting any younger, so I decided to settle down.

“I got married, had pups, and joined the TSA. Mostly, I just wandered around the airport, hung out near suspicious looking people, and listened. I uncovered some incredible stuff and was awarded a bunch of medals. Now, I'm retired."

The guy is amazed. He asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

"Ten dollars" the guy says.

"Ten dollars? Why are you selling him so cheap?"

"First,” the owner says “he's a liar. I don’t believe he did half that stuff. Second, even if he did do some of it ... well, you heard ... there’s not a shred of humility in him. And who needs an arrogant dog?!”

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Humility.

Some people believe it’s in short supply. Others? ...not so much.

Some think humility is a good thing, while others think it is a bad thing. Why the conflict? It likely lies in what they mean by the term. And it’s not just “eye of the beholder.” Those who think of “humble” as a kind of mindset —one that leads to improved human interactions— believe the world would be a better place if more people were humble. Recent psychological studies support that view.**

But, those who the term, “humble,” describes their life often view it quite differently. Their humbled circumstance makes them feel excluded, devalued, and even despised. A great deal of the difference could be tied up in just how much choice is involved. Those who choose a humble situation have a much more positive feeling about it. Sadly, there are many “humble” people who have not chosen to be that way.

So, what does scripture say about all this?

While there are, of course, dogs in the Bible, if we want to explore humble circumstance, we’ll have to switch to birds. Witness the humble sparrow. People purchased sparrows to use as sacrifices in the Temple. When Jesus references them during his ministry, he points out that his audience can buy "two for a penny" and "five for two pennies." The Law of Supply and Demand would suggest that, at that price, they must have been very common, indeed.

In this week's scriptures, sparrows and swallows stand in for the common and most humble among us. Psalm 84 declares that at God’s altar even the sparrow finds a home, that the swallow builds a nest, “where she may lay her young.” The meaning: everyone, even the lowliest, even those marked for sacrifice are welcome to rest in God’s house. In the Luke passage, Jesus goes even further to clarify: the humble (like the despised Tax Collector) are far more welcome in God's house than those (like the Pharisee) who are pleased with their own moral performance and who look down on the common people.

If you find yourself feeling like an imposter, feeling that your own complement of shortcomings may overwhelm you, and that you can only cry to God for mercy ... know that God welcomes you as He does the sparrow.

Come and rest. There is always a place for you at God's altar.

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Parts of this reflection came from one posted in October 2013 entitled The Birds.

**CLICK HERE to read the New York Times article on humility: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/health/psychology-humility-pride-behavior.html

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 25 (30) (October 27, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=285

Joel 2:23-32
Psalm 65
Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22
Psalm 84:1-7
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14
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Join us for food and fellowship on Friday mornings. We meet DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Waco Egg and I restaurant) at 8:00. Everyone is welcome. We excel at eating, reading the Bible, discussing it, and laughing

... in all humility.

Enjoy the week!
Steve