Humbleness Has Its Place
By Rev. Marc Wessels 

THE BIG SHOE is in a display case on the wall where patrons line up to place their orders at Fast Eddies in Alton, Illinois. Along with other objects and signs advertising beer, the shoe is large...very large. It is a 37AA.  

The man who wore the shoe, Robert Pershing Wadlow is considered as the tallest person in history. Wadlow is known as the Alton Giant because he grew up and lived in that city on the Mississippi River. Most of the patrons pass by the old large shoe unaware of its significance more interested in ordering their food and having conversation with their companions.

The shoe is a relic of Wadlow who reached 8 ft 11.1 in in height and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at the time of his premature death at age 22. When he died his casket was attended to by a dozen pallbearers, assisted by eight other men. Alton's businesses closed as a sign of respect for the funeral of Wadlow and over 40,000 people signed he guest register. Wadlow was well respected in Alton and he thought of as a "gentle giant" by those who knew him. Wadlow holds a special place in the history of Alton and he is remembered for his character as much as for the size of his show. He was a humble young man who overcame a unique handicap and made the most of his short life.

Humbleness has its place. This is especially true within the community of faith who declare that they are followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was humble and had a spirit of humility. He saw himself as a servant of others, and sought to honor God.

The mystery of Jesus is that he while he entered into this life like all humans in the fleshly experience of birth, Jesus was more than human, he was (and is) God. While he walked in his sandals in the dirt of Palestine, he acted in the fullness of humanity and demonstrated the divinity of his father. As Paul noted in his letter to the Philippians (2:5-11 ESV), those who follow in Jesus' footsteps are to have a similar mindset as their teacher (rabbi): "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Clarence Jordan, author of the Cotton Patch translation of the gospels and portions of the New Testament understood the failure of the dynamic of a faith understood solely as something academic or intellectual. The Cotton Patch Version (CPV) is a modern translation of the Holy Bible by Jordan which was published between 1968 and 1973. Jordan who founded the intentional Christian community of Koinonia in Americus, Georgia placed the scriptures within the context of the rural South in America.

For Jordan, Christian faith is belief which is lived out in actions in our daily life and the lifestyles which we choose. Jordan stated that, "We have come to dissociate belief from faith and we think of belief as a way of thinking when the original intent was not to describe a way of thinking but a way of acting."

Jesus acted humbly. He didn't just think about the virtues of humility. He didn't merely intellectualize the importance of living and walking humbly. He acted humbly as the gospels clearly illustrate and the New Testament writers testify.  

Perhaps humbleness was in his human DNA. The gospel of Luke portrays his mother, Mary as being humble. Luke records Mary's reaction to the news that she has been chosen by God to bear the Son of God in the words known to us as The Magnificat. Mary declares: "...my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." Likewise, Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist demonstrated a humbleness of spirit. While proclaiming the need for repentance in the wilderness, he understood the limitations of his role in God's plan for salvation. Rather than puffing himself up with self-importance and pride, John recognized and accepted his place and purpose. John told those coming to hear him preach and to be baptized by him that, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry."

Humbleness has its place in the world. Christians who would follow in the footsteps of Christ are called to be like their Lord. In a time where self-aggrandizement is the norm; and the culture encourages personal pride and boasting, it is startling to consider the spiritual practice of humbleness. Yet Paul's advice written in his epistle advised the Christians gathered in Colossae still holds true today, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering".  

If we are to walk as Christ, we have some big shoes to fill.