 | Increasing Humility - Poem (CLM 716) |
From: JOE.VELTMAN@RECORDER.CA (Joe&Coby Veltman)
Wed, 18 Nov 1998
This is a follow up on today's post "Humility - or petty pride...."
The poem below touches on the same theme. I submit it for possible
sharing on the clergy-net.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. J. Veltman
Increasing Humility
"I love mankind: it's people I can't stand."
Charlie Brown exposes our delusions of grandeur--
we don't mind doing it, if we can do it grand.
Rather than preach across a continent,
Lord, let me seek to reach across the fence
and with that contact to be content.
Let lofty poems touching on the essence of the universe
(aimed at the university to impress men of high degree)
give way to the modest touch at a party
that celebrates a friendship with a verse.
Why do we dream of moving mountains and crossing oceans,
but are reluctant to dig in with a real shovel or dustmop?
And why do we find the other side of the track
too far to go, with all its sordid scenes?
Mother Theresa, saint of the gutters, said it well--
we are but little pencils in Your hand,
who should not be surprised, but pleased
when overlooked for You, whose story we tell.
Yes Lord, as you sharpen me for service, cut me down to size;
whittle away the ragged shavings
of my self-reliance; let me decrease
and You increase, that I may win the prize.
But...
Truth to tell, I cannot quite forget
that the manger led to a throne,
that Mother Theresa won the Nobel Prize,
that less is more, and in giving we get.
To be humble, humble as pie:
that's my great ambition, and thus remove
no mere mote, but the log from out my eye!
Lord, I humble myself before you.
Help Thou my proud humility;
see through me, and see me through.
J. Veltman
Copyright held by the author
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