Right in the Centre Ken Waddell

and other peoples’ actions can have some devastating effects on one’s life but usually the largest effects come from personal choices. All this talk about choices leads me to believe that God made us with a free will and we usually are able and usually willing to exercise that free will.

In exercising our free will we tend to think about how we should live, what we should do and not do. Growing up, we see examples of what works out well and what doesn’t. Parents, siblings, friends and community members, who are also making their free will choices, affect us in what choices we make. We develop ideas about favourite toys, favourite foods, where we want to live, what we want to do to support of life choices and who we want to love.

Most of us look to a faith or belief system to figure out what is right and what is wrong. As far as human behaviour goes, most faith systems are very similar. In spite of bitter wars and disagreements, Judaism, Islam and Christianity are surprisingly similar. Other faith systems have definite similarities. All are good in their own right but not all answer the question about what happens after we are born, live and die. The clearest answer, in my view, comes from Christianity.

The first Bible statement illustrates that all people fall short of God’s glory,

God’s ideals. The second verse tells us what to do about that shortfall. It is a time honoured process and in line with the free will concept, we are free to buy into it or not.

I have written many lines about what I think are correct choices in life and which are incorrect and even harmful. But what I say or have said, may or may not be correct. Again, people have a free choice and will exercise that choice.

In rural Canada, and maybe in other places as well, attendance in places of worship is down. That is sad and it would do everyone good to get involved in a place of worship and learning. We can go and listen and learn. We can switch to other places, the choice is ours, but worshipping God and learning how to live and love others can be a very good thing. Just one word of warning, places of worship and the people may not be perfect. I guess that should be obvious, but also remember, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

And, one last thing, if you let someone get between you and God, they may be closer to God than you are.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press staff.

“Me, Master Copperfield?” said Uriah. “Oh, no! I’m a very umble person.” ... “I am well aware that I am the umblest person going,” said Uriah Heep ...For those of us who studied Charles Dickens, or simply read his works for pleasure, Uriah’s hand wringing humility stands firm in memory. “the umblest person going”. Stepped right into the being proud category to my understanding! I have been giving humility a good bit of thought lately. It may have been triggered by the fact that my partner and I, both not young but not yet old!, against our better judgement moved a small, medium weight piece of furniture. All because I wanted a bookshelf in its place. Long story short, my partner compressed a disc in his lower back. This has happened before, but never with the degree of pain and immobility he has now. We knew better, didn’t think, and now need to ask for help… For me that is a part of being humbled and humility.

True humility goes so much deeper than that. Humility is not the lack of self-esteem, it is knowing our place in the universe. Not an economic, education, name, creed or colour place, but a place defined by our connectedness and dependance on God for who and what we are. We, as a society, have glorified ‘getting ahead’ as a mark of human achievement. As a Christ follower I am reminded frequently, that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first; look to the needs of others, serve, seek justice, mercy and walk humbly with my God. A quote from this weeks reading –‘ Winning, owning, having, consuming, and controlling are not the high posts of the spiritual life.’ Looking around this world, my world, I see too much winning, owning, having, consuming and controlling…It rather centres back to my musings of a few weeks ago, too many people have lost the desire to be a servant. And it is from lack of teaching, or lack of example? We do know that actions speak louder than words…

Humility requires self examination and self-revelation. Psychologists tell us that the struggles we hide are the ones that consume us. Too many of us wear masks, pretending to be what we are not, hoping to present as perfect! I do not have the energy for that! For most of my adult life I have been open and transparent. Telling the truth every time means I do not have to try to remember who I said what to!

‘Benedict tells us that it is bad for the soul to have more than necessary, that it gluts us, that it protects us in Plexiglass from the normal, the natural. The goal of life is not to amass things but to get the most out of whatever we have.’ Perhaps it is only my news feed, but never before have I been inundated with ways to de-clutter my home, to simplify my living. Hey, I have done that, and doing that.

Another quote from this weeks reading;’ Humility the lost virtue of our era, is crying to heaven for rediscovery.’ Knowing our place, and purpose in the universe…