2nd - 9th Dec 2007

'Humility' is sometimes regarded negatively as a sign of weakness. True humility is the opposite of arrogance, which is at the heart of conflict and war. Humility says, I am passionate about what I think and believe, but I may be wrong.

"If thou wouldst become a pilgrim on the path
Of love
The first condition is
That thou become as humble as dust
And ashes."

Al-Ansari (from 'The Persian Mystics', translated by Sardar Sir Jogendra Singh, John Murray Ltd, 1939).

Additional Thoughts

This Slav proverb reminds us, not only that our own evolution is a result of the elements thrown out by dead stars, but that humility is not contrary to our human dignity:

"Remember you are of the earth, therefore be humble;
remember you are of the stars, therefore be noble."

And a specifically spiritual quotation from William Temple who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-4:

"The source of humility . . . is the habit of realising the presence of God. Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself that of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all."

William Temple(1881-1944, from 'Christ in His Church', Macmillan & Co Ltd, 1925).