In this Sunday’s Gospel, John the Baptist is sought after as a man of integrity, humble and wise. Some people begin to wonder if he is the Christ. Being humble John deflects any potential glory and directs people toward another: “there is one who comes after me.” Interestingly enough, Jesus, who John is heralding, also lives his life deflecting any potential glory. Jesus too is a man of integrity, humble and wise. He will live his life for others, including others who will come after him, long after.
Living a humble life that is paradoxically so large as to extend into generations beyond us is a challenge of our time. The word humble is Latin in origins and means lowly, literally ‘on the ground.’ It is derived from the word humus meaning “earth.” Humble refers to people who are so deeply rooted they are, like a tree, secure in who they are. They are also secure in who and what nourishes them, both around them and within them. They are grateful for all they receive. Humble people have little concern as to status or appearance. They are therefore, again like a tree, able to give more energy to bearing fruit. They extend themselves toward people and generations beyond themselves. The quality of living a simple humble life for those who come after us is so dearly needed in our care for the earth. As Pope Francis writes in On Care for Our Common Home, “There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions.” (#211) Integrating care for the earth with humble daily actions this Christmas season can shift our gift-giving so that we live for those who come after us. On a basic level we can buy less. We can continue to recycle old boxes and gift bags rather than buy new wrapping paper. If we do buy gift wrap we can avoid the metallic type as it’s difficult to recycle. When buying gifts we can choose those that are made locally or from recycled materials or require no batteries. We can happily re-gift, giving something that is meaningful to another that we don’t want or is of excess. (Fruit cakes come to mind.) We can continue to give gifts of time, food, homemade crafts, and, especially, outdoor activities. It’s especially meaningful during a season that celebrates the birthing of Divinity into the physical world to be in touch with humus/earth, the gift of nature.
Let us be humble. Let us live lives in touch with nature, the fruit of the earth. Let us live lives rooted in and nourished by all the gifts that are around us and within us. And let us rejoice for we are living lives for others, including others who will come after us, long after.
Prayer: Spirit of Humility, may we rejoicing in all the gifts that arise from the fruitful earth.
Question: Who are the others I live for?
December 13, 2015 Luke 3:10-18 Third Sunday of Advent