In his first chapter, Fénelon (whom we have discussed in previous blogs) talks about the importance of humility in the Christian life. [1] As Jesus said:
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)
Why is humility so important that we will not enter haven without it? It is because we are finite. In this scientific and technological age, we think highly of ourselves and our accomplishments. However, any observant person should recognize how much we do not know. A nobleman in the court of the Anglo-Saxon king Edwin compared the human condition to the flight of a sparrow through the king’s hall in winter—from darkness to darkness. [2] Unless we recognize that fact and develop a learning spirit, we will make bad decisions here on earth and will not do what it takes to gain heaven.
Even people before Jesus’ time knew this. When the Oracle of Delphi stated Socrates was the wisest man alive, Socrates spent his time quizzing the wise men of Athens to determine if this was true. His conclusion was the the only reason it was true was because Socrates knew how ignorant he was while the other wise men of Athens did not. [3]
Many Christians seem to be like most of the wise men of Athens in their inability to recognize the implications of the fact that we are finite. Otherwise, they would address how that impacts Christianity and I see very few that do. In my book, The Renovation of Our Soul, and in this blog we attempt to start such a discussion.
“. . .what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)
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[1] Fénelon. Let Go. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1973, p. 11.
[2] Richard Fletcher, The Barbarian Conversion, New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997, p. 5.
[3] Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Collected Dialogues of Plato. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1961, pp. 7-9.
