Jeremiah 2: 4-13
Luke 14: 1-14
“America’s Pious Self-Congratulations”
In the face of a culture in which we are all encouraged to ‘value ourselves’ — often over others, and more than we deserve, and much more than the greater good — “humility” is neither an easy nor comforting word. Our world insists we ‘reach for what we want’ and ‘not let anyone stop us.’ In this light, humility is can be an incomprehensible, even undesirable aim. But according to Jesus, it’s what God asks of us. To claim that true, vibrant, authentic life is found in simplicity, fidelity, contentment and humility sounds naive and out of touch. And yet, this is a consistent message we are called to embrace by our religious tradition and at church week after week. What do we make of the difference between our culture and our faith?
