The Humility of Christ

   In the ebb and flow of broader cultural values, humility has fallen on hard times. There were times when folks recognized the importance of quiet strength — when men and women just did what was needed to serve their neighbor without the need to be recognized. Times when doing the “right thing” was an end in itself and not a means for recognition. Times when charitable giving took seriously the command to not let the left hand know what the right hand was doing.

   This past week, I had the honor of performing a funeral for just such a man — a man that didn’t draw attention to himself, trumpet his importance, or insist on the spotlight. He was content doing the right thing, even if it was performed in anonymity. A few months earlier, I had laid to rest another such man who gave away more money than most of his friends and neighbors realized because humility guided his generosity.

   Similarly, the Christmas story speaks of humility. It places the narrative of God coming to earth in the form of a vulnerable babe front and center. It speaks of the lowliness of the manger and the simplicity of the swaddling cloths. The shepherds were a strange and lowly choice for a public relations campaign. Joseph — a man who gets no lines in the drama — leads his family with a humble strength and integrity.

   Contrast that with the pomp and arrogance of a figure like Herod. His fragile ego was challenged by such a birth because he needed to maintain the illusion of control and power. He surrounded himself with opulence to mask the bankrupt nature of his soul. He surrounded himself with “advisors” and “wise men” to mask the ignorance of his own narcissism.

   The German pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote,

“Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness.…

“And that is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly…God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken” (from God is the Manger).

   If you are looking for the true Christmas spirit this week, it may take a little searching, for it won’t be found under the spotlight, behind a microphone, or wrapped in glittery paper. It will likely be found off to the side, as one compassionate heart comforts the grieving widow or saves a space in line at the food pantry. It will be working behind the scenes at the Christmas celebration, making sure that everyone’s drink is filled and that the trash is taken out.