Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Whatever the vexations or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner contentment and to renewed excitement in living. Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beautiful mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant. Again, I reference Rachel Carson who asks, What is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and wonder, this recognition of something beyond the boundaries of human existence? Is the exploration of the natural world just a pleasant way to pass the golden hours of childhood or is there something deeper? I have had friends decline to return to places where we have enjoyed camping out together because, they said, “they had already been there.” As though the river had nothing else to reveal of its beauty and mystery. Humility knows there is much to be taught, much to see and discover. For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. It is learning again to use your eyes, ears, nostrils, and fingertips, opening the disused channels of sensory impression. It is largely a matter of becoming receptive to what lies all around you. Only in humility can we receive the gifts of life’s mysterious joy and grace. Maybe this is why Jesus said we had to become like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last through life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.
#Rooted and grounded full
She writes:Ī child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. Naturalist Rachel Carson wrote about this in her book, A Sense of Wonder. And then the world opens its doors and magic can dance into our lives. When we live with humility, we can acknowledge that we are not the center of the universe. Humility takes the ego out of the center of our world and makes room for the miraculous things that are going on within us and around us all the time. But only the humble notice.Īnd that is reason enough to want to be rooted and grounded in humility. There is a grace that keeps things moving, living, going forward. Every breath reminds us that we are not in control, but that life is working.
These and a thousand other things are going on with every simple breath. As you do that do you realize all that is going on in your body? Oxygen is flowing into blood cells, lungs are expanding, your chest is moving, your heart is beating. Let’s see if we can unpack this a little more. And who wants that? But what if humility is a doorway to thankfulness? Why would we want to be rooted and grounded in humility? Humility sounds awfully close to humiliation, to being shamed, brought down a peg or two. So, we are considering being rooted and grounded in what we are. Tonight’s theme may seem a little redundant-being rooted and grounded in humility-because the root of the word “humility” is “humus” or earth. Mark 10:13-16 “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child…” Psalm 8 “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
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