Wise Words With... 

Philippians 2: 3,4

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Beauty and the Beast is finished. What an incredible effort by all staff and students involved from Term 3 last year. Congratulations to all on a successful production week.

In Week 7 our focus will turn to one of our school character traits: humility! "It may seem ironic that it is first in line; traditionally, humility has been seen as the root of all other virtues. "Without it, the rest can go sour very quickly.

So what is humility? Let's look at its opposite: pride. Pride puts "me" at the centre of everything. It shows up in a few specific ways:

• Selfishness: Using relationships and skills for our own ends.
• Entitlement: Obsessing over what we are "owed."

• Defensiveness: Refusing to acknowledge mistakes or limitations.

   

Interestingly, pride can also play the victim, subtly shifting blame to everyone and everything else.

On the other hand, humility sees life as a gift, pursues excellence while recognising limitations and the value of others' contributions. The humble person has a focus beyond their own success; they are not the centre of everything.

The story of Beauty and the Beast teaches us about pride and humility. Prince Adam begins the story with a prideful heart. Gaston places himself at the centre of all his plans. His highest good is his own self-aggrandisement. Both characters experience the old proverb that ‘pride comes before a fall’. (Proverbs 16:18)

These characters blame circumstances and others for their failings. In Beauty and the Beast, circumstances do not create the characters, they reveal them for who they really are.

By contrast, Maurice, though mocked by society, is grounded in truth and love. He has a generosity of spirit that springs from a humble heart.

Belle’s humility allows her to see past the grotesque appearance of the Beast (and to be repelled by the superficial allure of Gaston). In her humility, Belle brings healing and forgiveness to Prince Adam.

Belle reminds us of the sacrificial humility of Jesus. The scriptures say that he made himself nothing, choosing to be a servant, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

We are all short of humility, if we are honest, pride is our constant companion. Each of us is the Beast, Gaston and the mob all rolled into one. Fleetingly, we may reach the virtues of Maurice and Belle. But we run a mile to avoid humiliation.

Jesus Christ, the one who embraced humiliation invites us to humble ourselves. He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1Peter 5:5)