Mark Berry helps us reflect on the power of humility in weathering life's storms.
The late Carmelite nun, Jessica Powers, aka Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit wrote this poem:
Humility is to be still
under the weathers of God’s will.
It is to have no hurt surprise
when morning’s ruddy promise dies,
when wind and drought destroy, or sweet
spring rains apostatize in sleet,
or when the mind and month remark
a superfluity of dark.
It is to have no troubled care
for human weathers anywhere.
And yet it is to take the good
with the warm hands of gratitude
Humility is to have a place
deep in the secret of God’s face
where one can know, past all surmise,
that God’s great will alone is wise,
where one is loved, where one can trust
a strength not circumscribed by dust.
It is to have a place to hide
when all is hurricane outside.
Life at the moment might seem to be characterised by an endless procession of storms. We see physical storms causing destruction around the globe, but it's not just the climate! Our faith itself can feel like it is being battered by strong winds, scandals from within, challenges from without. Each of us faces our own storms too, we often start the new year with an excitement for what might come, too often this excitement is rapidly replaced by frustration and disappointment when our expectations are not met. Perhaps your response is to turn inwards and blame yourself, to lose confidence and self-belief? Perhaps, it is to get angry and stomp your feet at the failures of others to meet your needs?
The monastic tradition teaches us of the need to develop spiritual practices, not in order to demonstrate our piety, but to prepare us for the storms that life inevitability brings. We sometimes call these ‘virtues’, they counter the often destructive human instincts we all have. We practice virtues like ‘grace’ and ‘forgiveness’ so that when we are hurt we know how to respond in a Godly and healthy way. Humility is a powerful virtue, it helps us to resist the tsunami of anger we often feel when things do not go our way. It helps us to learn trust when, despite our best efforts, things do not work our the way we planned.
Humility is not weakness, it is perhaps the greatest strength, because it teaches us that we do not need to be flattened by the storms that hit, because we are loved beyond human measure. No failure, no disappointment, no weakness, can ever separate us from the love of God.
A prayer for humility
God of all creation, you call us to give up pride and walk in humility side by side with you.
Help me to resist the call of this world to be powerful, self-sufficient, dominant.
Help me to trust in your way, the humble way, the way of the peacemaker, the way of the healer.
When things do not go my way, help me to celebrate with others, help me to trust in your love and wisdom.
When others disappoint or frustrate me, help me to be graceful and to see them though your eyes.
May I always know your closeness, help me to be always open and willing to learn from you and others.
Teach me the way of Christ with the help of your Holy Spirit.
Amen