Humility – Our connection with God

“Religion is to do right. It is to love, it is to serve, it is to think, it is to be humble.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have spoken of faith several times as I’ve shared my thoughts on the virtue of humility. And faith is where I will conclude. Approaching life with a humble attitude will increase one’s capacity, improve the tenor of public discourse, fortify interpersonal relationships and equally, if not more importantly, will deepen one’s spiritual connection with a loving God.

As I make that statement, I acknowledge that some would claim that faith is the antithesis of humility. People of faith often speak in absolutes to such a degree that their conviction may resemble arrogance more than humility. Certainly, there are those among all faiths who could be characterized as overzealous in their convictions. But in my walk with God, humility feeds my faith.

Humility plays multiple roles in my faith. Foremost is my acknowledgement that God knows infinitely more than I do, or ever will in this life. This recognition that “[God’s] ways are higher than [my] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [my] thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9) increases my trust, faith and confidence in my Heavenly Father. And in turn, my confidence in facing life’s challenges increases, knowing that while I am weak, with “God nothing [is] impossible” (Luke 1:37).

My humility also demands that I accept that in spiritual matters, as in all things, I see through a glass darkly. My understanding of God and His plan for me are limited and there is infinitely more I do not understand than that which I do know. Acknowledging the “circumference of darkness” surrounding my spiritual knowledge does not need to diminish my faith. In many ways I find that it strengthens my core knowledge.

Finding God in religion

In recent decades we have witnessed some significant religious trends in the United States and the world. Most notably is the rise of the so-called religious “nones” — those claiming no religious affiliation. According to the Pew Research Center, this segment of the U.S. population is approaching 25%. The same Pew Research study found that “the overwhelming majority of the “nones” were brought up in a religious tradition”.

Many theories have been proposed for this rise in the religiously unaffiliated. Certainly, the reasons may vary significantly among individuals. But for those among my own faith who have become disaffected, I’ve seen two broad issues causing doubt and question: (1) troubles with thorny historical topics and (2) shifts in cultural and societal norms that conflict with religious standards.  I’ll examine both issues briefly in the context of humility.

 First, let me answer this question: Why do I raise the topic of the religiously unaffiliated? Simply put: I have chosen to stay religiously connected. And as I examine my motivation for remaining religiously affiliated, I find humility at the core. To be clear, I do not criticize those whose humble seeking for truth has led them away from organized religion. But, speaking for myself, that same humble seeking has strengthened my resolve to stay.

Humility – Applied to history

“The past is a foreign county; they do things differently there.”

L.P. Hartley

In recent years we have witnessed increasing controversy over historical characters and symbols. Even our country’s primary symbol — the American Flag — has been disparaged by some as racist, representing a history of white-male domination in our political and cultural fabric. Is that a fair assessment? We have an undeniable and troubling history regarding discrimination, prejudice, and intolerance of many forms. Most notably among these is our country’s two century history of institutionalized slavery.

And we continue to be an imperfect society within many regards. Those imperfections include ugly vestiges of our regrettable history. But does this make the American flag or any other historical figure or symbol a representation of our every imperfection? I would hope that while we acknowledge mistakes of the past, we also recognize the contributions made by those same people and institutions to establish a better, more equitable future. In a very real sense, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. To me they should be honored despite their human flaws.

The twentieth century novel, The Go-Between, by L.P. Hartley opens with this often-quoted line: “The past is a foreign county; they do things differently there”. That line provides an apt analogy for the study and evaluation of history. We should be very careful, may I say humble, in our interpretation of history. In his book Planted, Patrick Q. Mason makes this point: “We can easily assume many of the characteristics of the stereotypical “ugly American” traveling abroad. This person assumes his own culture’s superiority: if its not his way, it’s the wrong way.”

In examining some of the more puzzling history of my country, my church, or any institution, I think it a mistake to cast judgement on people and events of decades or centuries past through my present-day lens. Understanding the present as we look at life through our own warped lens is difficult enough. How much more cautious should we be in judging events in the past? While I don’t excuse the mistakes of the past, I choose to be patient and sympathetic — key characteristics of humility.

Humility – Reconciling philosophical confict

“[God speaks] unto men according to their language, unto their understanding”

2 Nephi 31:3

The world seems to evolve and change at an ever-increasing pace. The societal and cultural shifts that I have observed in my lifetime would have taken centuries, if not millennia, to unfold in ages past. Today religion is seen by many as out-of-step, and even in direct conflict at times, with the shifts in the broader cultural norms. Is it possible for the two to co-exist and in some way be mutually beneficial?

The Book of Mormon teaches, “For the Lord giveth light unto the understanding; for He speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding”.  I have pondered this scripture for years. For me it has deep meaning. When any of us strive to understand God’s word, our understanding is constrained to a great degree by our filter. God cannot teach us anything that is beyond our ability in terms of language and knowledge to grasp. As our capacity to understand grows, so does our ability to receive deeper understanding of God’s will.

Recognizing that we receive God’s word through an imperfect filter humbles me. It motivates me to refine my understanding and capacity to receive God’s word. This understanding also provides me with patience to accept some things I do not fully understand. Recognizing that God’s prophets are fallible human beings, receiving God’s word through an imperfect filter, provides further hope that those things I do not understand today — those issues that cause me internal conflict — will eventually find resolution and I will understand someday what I do not understand today.

My humility requires that I am willing to change. My humility also requires that I do not quickly abandon my core beliefs at signs of controversy or contradiction. I have come to a place in my life where I seek to constantly explore and question the circumference of darkness surrounding my understanding, and at the same time, hold fast to the small core of what I have come to know is true. For this reason, I continue to embrace my faith. That faith provides a stabilizing influence in a sometimes turbulent existence.

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