What’s most important to our individual spiritual growth, to following in the footsteps of Christ Jesus and living the life of a true Christian, to the successful practice of Christian healing, to the building up of our churches and fulfilling the universal mission of Christian Science, to being quietly at peace within ourselves, to feeling genuinely content with our life’s purpose and accomplishments, to being truly satisfied with who we are? Over the years, I’ve come to find that, fundamentally, nothing is more important to all of this than the special quality known as humility.
A while back, when I looked up the definition of humility in an online dictionary, I was surprised to learn that this word was in the top 10 percent of all words that the site’s users had searched. Doesn’t that hint at a yearning in our world today, something missing in the very heart of contemporary society?
Throughout the world’s predominant religious traditions, humility is regarded as an essential virtue. In Scripture, for example, we find strength, not weakness, associated with humility. The Old Testament speaks of the great leader Moses as “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). And elsewhere it says, “The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34, Brenton Septuagint Translation).
Of course, in original Christianity, humility is absolutely essential. The Christian Science textbook describes Jesus as being “as meek as he was mighty” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 597). And when the disciples came to Jesus asking about “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” our Master cut right through the pride and self-seeking of that question.
Jesus was always turning things upside down. Here, in the account that Matthew’s Gospel provides, Jesus calls a little child to come and stand before the disciples. Then Jesus tells them that except they be converted—except they change the very basis of their thinking—and become as little children, they won’t even enter the kingdom of heaven. Next—and can’t you just feel Jesus looking right into the eyes of each one of the disciples?—he says: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (see chap. 18, verses 1–4).
There can be no real power or strength without the meekness of Christ, the spiritual power that is so essential to Christian healing.
Mrs. Eddy has much to say on the subject of humility. For example, in her Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, she specifically refers to Jesus’ teaching about little children and humility. First she asks, “What is the Principle and rule of Christian Science?” Then she writes: “Infinite query! Wonder in heaven and on earth,—who shall say? The immaculate Son of the Blessed has spoken of them as the Golden Rule and its Principle, God who is Love. Listen,” Mrs. Eddy then tells us, “and he illustrates the rule: ‘Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, . . . Whosoever . . . shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven’ ” (p. 337).
Elsewhere in Miscellaneous Writings, Mrs. Eddy speaks clearly of the unique significance of humility: “This virtue triumphs over the flesh; it is the genius of Christian Science” (p. 356).
Think of that: Humility is “the genius of Christian Science.” And wasn’t Jesus’ healing ministry itself the work of spiritual and moral genius—the work of pure humility? The healings he accomplished of what seemed the worst kinds of disease—inveterate, supposedly incurable, debilitating, life-threatening diseases—were immediate healings, complete healings, life-changing healings. Yet when he spoke of his power and authority, he consistently pointed away from any personal concept of himself as a healer and to the true source of that power—God.
Contrary to what pride and egotism may argue, true meekness—the meekness of Christ—is never weakness. It exercises spiritual power and strength, because true humility develops from the conscious realization of our oneness with God, omnipotent good. There can be no real power or strength without the meekness of Christ, the spiritual power that is so essential to Christian healing.
To heal through prayer, as Jesus taught his followers to do, we must follow his lead and recognize the source of healing power as God, pure Love, omnipotent Spirit, infinite Mind. In so doing, we will be bearing witness, even as Jesus so humbly did, that it is always the Father-Mother God who “doeth the works” (John 14:10).
This was brought home to me some time ago through a healing in my own life that surely depended on humility. At the time, I had a rescue dog as a pet who was quite a handful. This, I’ll admit, was often exasperating. One afternoon, after he had dug up a newly planted tree in the backyard—and this had happened more than once—I stormed out the back door to let him know how displeased I was. It was summertime, and I was barefoot as I stepped, with full force, right onto the pointed end of a bone the dog had left on the patio. The pain was intense and stopped me right in my tracks.
As I hobbled back into the house, I knew I needed to pray to change my perspective—to gain a more spiritual outlook. I did, but the next morning my foot was so swollen and uncomfortable that I couldn’t put on my shoe. I again turned to God in prayer and made an effort to humble myself, to acknowledge that divine Love is more powerful than any animosity or resentment I might be tempted to feel toward this sweet dog who was still learning his way.
I decided to call a Christian Science practitioner to pray with me. After speaking with him for just a few moments, and with his calm assurance that he was praying for me, I hung up the phone. I took a step and realized that in those few moments the pain had almost completely vanished, and the swelling was gone! My foot slipped easily into my shoe, and I was off to a full day’s work. The foot didn’t cause me trouble again.
What a wonderful example to me this was of the spiritual power of humility—of humbly letting go of willfulness and resentment, of accepting how God, pure Love, is always in control. And I am also happy to report that the dog did grow out of his more exuberant puppy behavior, as most dogs do!
Since that time, I’ve often thought about what it would mean to bring more of a quiet humbleness into everything we do in our daily rounds. And what if we always endeavored to look at each other through the eyes of Christly humility? I think it would actually change us, transform us. I think it would even begin to change the world. This is the promise of true humility—the genius of Christian living that we learn in Christian Science.
