Editorial June 27, 1931 Issue

Humility

DUNCAN SINCLAIR

It is unquestionable that the world's greatest men and women have been the world's humblest. Every thinking person admits this, and is probably able to draw upon his personal observation or historical knowledge in proof of the fact. The Christian has no doubt of it; and in substantiation thereof he will point without hesitation to Moses and Christ Jesus, whose meekness is proverbial and whose greatness cannot be challenged. And being aware of the humility that characterized the lives of these two great moral and spiritual leaders of mankind, Christians have recognized the necessity of cultivating it, that in a measure they might follow them in the path of righteousness.

The opposite of humility is egotism, a false sense of self, invariably to be found in conjunction with self-conceit and pride, and often with arrogance. Humility will always be found where there is a genuine understanding of divine Principle, good; and its opposite, egotism, where there is ignorance or forgetfulness of Principle. It is a notable fact that as one perceives through Christian Science that God, divine Principle, is infinite good and reposes his trust in the power of Principle, one discovers the futility of egotism and dispenses with it, becoming proportionably humbler. Mrs. Eddy skillfully contrasts the egotistical attitude with humility in these words (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 354):"Instead of relying on the Principle of all that really exists,—to govern His own creation,—self-conceit, ignorance, and pride would regulate God's action. Experience shows that humility is the first step in Christian Science, wherein all is controlled, not by man or laws material, but by wisdom, Truth, and Love."

Perhaps the first thing to be done by one who would gain humility is to admit that God exists, that a Supreme Being exists who has created the universe and man; for by doing so one begins, as it were, to get one's self out of the center of the picture. When one can do that by placing God there, a tremendous step towards genuine humility has been taken. Looking towards God, gaining steadily in an understanding of Him, learning the truth about His perfection and the perfection of His creation, perceiving through the knowledge that God is infinite good that evil is unreal, one leaves the old false sense of self and finds one's self enjoying, in a measure one had never previously thought possible, the good which exists to the exclusion of all seemingly unlike itself. And the humility thus attained will aid one's further progress Spiritward; for as Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 1), "Humility is the stepping-stone to a higher recognition of Deity."

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