MEEKNESS is probably among the least popular of the virtues recommended by Jesus in his historic Sermon on the Mount. One reason for this may be that its true nature is little understood, or completely misunderstood. A dictionary shows it to be synonymous with humility; but one phase of humility is defined as self-abasement. There is a general assumption that humility or meekness is merely the opposite of pride, arrogance, and self-esteem. And it is often loosely concluded that because meekness has no trace of pride, it must be akin to self-abasement. Self-abasement being abhorrent to the normal human consciousness, there is often a reluctance to cultivate or even investigate the true meaning of meekness.
The light which Christian Science throws on this quality of meekness is most helpful. Jesus exemplified one phase of meekness when he said, "I can of mine own self do nothing;" and again, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one." Many references might be cited from Mrs. Eddy's works, explaining this subject, one of these being the lines on page 475 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where she defines "man" in part as "that which has no separate mind from God; that which has not a single quality underived from Deity; that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker."
Many beginners in the study of Christian Science are shocked at these words. What, they may ask, lose my personality? give up my individuality? Also many of us who are no longer beginners may yet feel that we have some particular talent or ability along some line of human endeavor. Possibly we have thought of this with what we believed to be justifiable pride, since we possessed this talent before we took up the study of Christian Science. Such a view of personal capacity, however, is incompatible with the acknowledgment of man as "that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker," for this scientific statement makes no compromise with any sense of capacity or ability apart from God. On page 356 of "Miscellaneous Writings," in pointing out the need of humility, our Leader says, "One can never go up, until one has gone down in his own esteem." At least one indication of this quality is the ability to accept rebuke or correction without fear or resentment.
