Stronger and Stronger in Their Humility

“Who is stronger, the man who boasts he doesn’t need to be planted to take a blow, or the man who looks for granite on which to brace his feet?”

The correct answer depends on whether there actually is any granite (and of the right kind) available and accessible to brace-upon.

If there is no granite to be had – he becomes less strong by using his finite efforts in seeking it.

Ditto – if the granite is rapidly turning to sand (or quick-sand!) beneath him.

Christ is the rock. He is there and available!

. . . Or perhaps the man who bends with the blow and snaps back like a green and living tree? When someone is strong in humility, I think they are just like a tree, anchored in the solid earth – yea, even the granite, as one extremely ancient local tree is – but flexible enough to take on the storms that come without breaking.

Humility recognizes the strength and value in others.

That’s a trait that would absolutely make a society and military stronger. Consider a rigid hierarchy in an army that’s entirely dependent on top down orders and paralyzed by inaction if things don’t go according to plan and with orders. Now consider an army with platoon leaders, which are endowed with the power to make decisions on their own, because their own value and contribution is recognized — and further, the members of that platoon are equally endowed, valued, and trusted.

The key in realizing the value of that second example I listed is training, and increasing their individual strengths. Incidentally, that’s what we’re here doing.

sute – you just described the difference between the US Army and the US Marines. At least, according to my husband who served for 25.5 years in the USMC.

A core message of the BoM is clearly that a people either grow stronger in humility or dwindle in unbelief.