Earthy humility
I am reading a book by Madeleine L’Engle (see the recommended reading Page) and she mentions how the words ‘human’ and ‘humility’ have the same root word, ‘humus’ which means earth. We are of the earth and little better than dirt when all is said and done–to the dust we shall return and what not. And it is with a clear sense of our humility/humanness that we come to understand how well we are loved by God. We are loved not according to our merits or according to our demands, for dirt has neither great worth nor great authority. And yet God freely loves us, no matter how humble we are or are not. But a little humility helps us see his love for what it is, a free gift to an undeserving but hopefully grateful receiver.
L’Engle means all of this to teach us what sort of humans we ought to be, and also what sort of spirituality we ought to have. God wants to be God of our earthiness. Of our eating, drinking, painting, singing, laughing, playing selves. Not just our holy Sunday morning selves. There is no aspect of life or self which is too lowly-too earthy-for his lordship.
So perhaps this week I will meditate on my dirtness. Not dirty, but earthy just the same. A creature through and through, loved by God all the way down. It is too easy to forget that his love is great and free, and that I am small and human.