One morning in my eighth grade social studies class, the teacher said, “The world is one-third Christian, twenty percent Muslim, and thirteen percent Hindu.” We thought that was the goofiest thing we had ever heard. Where I grew up in Mississippi, there were four religions—Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and heathen.
Formations 01.08.2023: Jesus’s Humility
January 1, 2023 by
Many leaders in our world, past and present, have come with fanfare and promises, conceit and power, riches and tailored suits. They’re surrounded by bodyguards who will protect them at all costs.
Connections 10.18.2020: Electoral Humility
October 11, 2020 by
Almost sixty years had passed since Nebuchadrezzar’s Babylonian forces sent the first group of exiles from Judah to Babylon. Almost fifty years had passed since his armies had destroyed Jerusalem…
Jacob and Esau: Grudges and Humility
June 10, 2020 by
Like many women in the Bible, my mother waited a long time for my twin and I to be born: ten years. It is only natural that when you wait that long, or even when you don’t, you want your daughters to be best friends.
Connections 01.13.2019: Humility
January 6, 2019 by
John the Baptist was a celebrity. He had all the right factors to create interest and even obsession among the people who had encountered him or even just heard of him. Young. Strong. Eccentric. Intriguing. Tantalizing.
Formations 05.06.2018: Fearless Humility
April 29, 2018 by
Author Jim Collins and his research team spent five years exploring “good” companies and what it took for them to become “great.” The results were published in 2001 in Collins’s book Good to Great.
Connections 10.08.2017: Paul’s Credentials…and Humility
October 1, 2017 by
Paul’s writings can be a tough read. Like many theologians, whether someone relatively close to Paul’s era like Tertullian or someone more recent like Eugene Peterson, he seems to be learning as he goes—making statements, doubling back, almost contradicting himself at times, certain at some points and a bit unsure at others.
Connections 09.17.2017: The View from Below
September 10, 2017 by
God is with us. Christ is present in us. These are, the Bible assures us, facts. But such talk can go to our heads. After all, if God is with us, shouldn’t we be able to look down on other people? And if Christ is present in us, shouldn’t we be able to pass judgment on folks?
Formations 03.26.2017: Uber’s Lesson in Humility
March 19, 2017 by
Uber Technologies Inc. is an online transportation network company with operations in over 500 cities in sixty-five countries. It is also a company reeling from a spate of recent setbacks including sexual harassment scandals, allegations of a covert operation to avoid regulators in key markets, and a recently leaked video of CEO Travis Kalanick berating an Uber driver.
Connections 01.29.2017: The Nature of the Beatitudes
January 22, 2017 by
I have also viewed these Beatitudes as something to strive for. Do you want the kingdom of heaven, comfort, the earth, and so on? Then be poor in spirit, mourning, meek, etc. But as I read these again this week, I realized something. Every quality Jesus lists here is either innate or enforced.
It’s so Hard to be Humble
December 22, 2015 by
This past year, I have started a new job, moved to a new town, enrolled my children in a new daycare, and bought a new house. That’s lots of “new”, which has brought with it many opportunities to be completely unsure of what I’m doing.
Formations 01.04.2015: An Unlikely Benefactor
December 28, 2014 by
January 6 and the Feast of Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season. Does this mean, however, the end of our annual heightened consciousness of needs in our community?
A Lesson in Humility
February 18, 2014 by
A few days ago, during a respite from one of the many polar vortexes that have blown through Louisville, I took my dog for a walk. My neighbor called me over. “Hey there! I saw you fall the other day.”