I really appreciated this angle, thank you Steve. For many years I’ve kept Andrew Murray’s (1828–1917) little book "Humility", close at hand. It has taught me much, though the transformation has been slow. Humility is such an essential part of laying down the ego, yet so difficult—for the true revelation is that I have nothing.
What I long for, with all my heart, is to experience what William Law called the “birth of the Spirit of Love.” I am convinced that humility is the gateway into that life. But, as Thomas Merton reminds us: “I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere.”
Andrew Murray: "We need just one thing: to take the place of humility and dependence before God; of a meek and patient resignation or giving up of ourselves into God's hands. This humility, will then no longer be to us one among a number of other virtues, not even the chief of all the virtues, but the one essential condition and the root of the life of grace. We shall see that all other graces, peace, love, joy, faith, devotion, service, have their beginning here because it alone places and keeps us in a posture of dependence where God can work in us."
Oh, my God! Pride, the foundation of the 7 deadly sins, the jumping-off point into the chaos of the soul. "...in the mutterings of the addict...." I just read today that even addiction is pride, the "I want to do what I want to do" mentality. This is a beautiful portrayal of the upper room and its inhabitants. You write so well, we can imagine ourselves there when Jesus breaks open the humbled silence, their pride exits with, "My friend." I would gasp!
I really appreciated this angle, thank you Steve. For many years I’ve kept Andrew Murray’s (1828–1917) little book "Humility", close at hand. It has taught me much, though the transformation has been slow. Humility is such an essential part of laying down the ego, yet so difficult—for the true revelation is that I have nothing.
What I long for, with all my heart, is to experience what William Law called the “birth of the Spirit of Love.” I am convinced that humility is the gateway into that life. But, as Thomas Merton reminds us: “I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere.”
Andrew Murray: "We need just one thing: to take the place of humility and dependence before God; of a meek and patient resignation or giving up of ourselves into God's hands. This humility, will then no longer be to us one among a number of other virtues, not even the chief of all the virtues, but the one essential condition and the root of the life of grace. We shall see that all other graces, peace, love, joy, faith, devotion, service, have their beginning here because it alone places and keeps us in a posture of dependence where God can work in us."
So good Stephan, thanks for sharing! I pray you find that experience.
Oh, my God! Pride, the foundation of the 7 deadly sins, the jumping-off point into the chaos of the soul. "...in the mutterings of the addict...." I just read today that even addiction is pride, the "I want to do what I want to do" mentality. This is a beautiful portrayal of the upper room and its inhabitants. You write so well, we can imagine ourselves there when Jesus breaks open the humbled silence, their pride exits with, "My friend." I would gasp!