A plea for the Truth and Christianity’s inherent humility…
Below is a letter that I wrote to my uncle in March of 2008 after he visited for a few short days and returned to his home in Stockholm Sweden. My uncle was the first family member I told after I became a Christian. He comes from a Muslim background, as I do, and has strong post-modern views rooted in the familiar mantra of relativism and humanist views focused on being “good” while on earth. We had several intense conversations related to absolute truth and Christ being the only path to salvation. He had clear views on all religions being equal yet different paths and Christianity’s exclusive claim to salvation having a tone of arrogance. I thought I would share this letter with all of you and perhaps it may help in your evangelistic dialogues with others…
Dearest ,
I write this email just after you have left our house and hopefully successfully made it onto your plane for Ottawa. The reason I write this email now is to express my gratitude and love for you and your cause.
Without question, I understand and value and appreciate the efforts you made this weekend and the intention that was seeded in you across the ocean to come to help my family - your family and your sister. This IS love and it is ALWAYS felt - love is a unique characteristic because it can never be overcome with darkness.. Love never fails. Below is a famous passage from the Bible that describes love (you can check it to ensure it matches your version… I assure you it does …
Humility - 12 Step Plan
Key verse(s)/quote(s):
“According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride… Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of Mind.” - C.S. Lewis
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12
Key takeaway(s):
- Humility is about having an accurate view of ourselves, not that we are inferior to others
- False humility is not regarded by God
Overview:
As one of the most significant and oft mentioned themes in Scripture, humility communicated to be a prized virtue for Christians. As prized as it is and simple as it sounds it is always so quickly dismissed as obvious or irrelevant to the individual.
We all seem to think we are humble. I don’t know too many people who will say they aren’t. They may say they are smokers, alcoholics, occasional benders of the law but rarely do I find people ready to admit to a lack of humility. Why is that? Are we all humble people? How do we measure that? How do we become that?
I present that we must regularly do a check on this. An honest examination of our lives, how we relate to others, how we set our priorities, how we interface with God, how we receive correction, how we embrace the cross seem to be very real and probing questions that can often be ignored in a discussion on humility.
Are we really as humble as we think? Jesus said that …
