Pride

This post includes more words of wisdom from R. L. Dabney on pride:

Pride is often spoken of as "aspiring," "lofty," and humility as "lowly." Every proud man, I suppose, fancies that his elation is elevating him. He speaks of "looking down" on others. Let us consider. We have seen that pride and humility are comparative emotions. Pride is incited by the comparison between ourselves and our inferiors; humility, by the comparison between ourselves and those felt to be our superiors. This is unquestionable. It follows, then, that the proud spirit must be habitually conversant with things meaner than itself, and the humble with things nobler than itself. But we always tend to be assimilated to what our vision dwells on. Thus we learn that pride is the groveling, the degrading temper, and humility the exalting one. Pride is the vulture which may exult in sailing a little above the treetops, because its eye is fixed on the earth and the foul garbage with which it desires to glut itself, while it becomes foul itself and loathsome as its food. Humility is the eagle soaring into the upper sky, yet never judging itself to have risen high, because its eye is fixed upon the distant sun.

If we want to temper our pride we must focus our hearts and minds what is greater and nobler than ourselves. While this may lead to idolatry, it can never do so if the greater and nobler one is Jesus Christ.

Knowledge Should Lead to Humility

"The man of extensive learning knows how much remains in the vast realms of science to be yet learned; and, comparing himself with these wider reaches of knowledge, he is humble." - R. L. Dabney

The Wonder of It All

As I mentioned, I'm reading through a book by R.L. Dabney, The Practical Philosophy. He offers a perspective on the ordinary, the things we take for granted in life and rarely think about. In this section, he discusses the nature of wonder and curiosity, and how that functions in this life and what it may look like when Christ's kingdom comes in its fullness.

Wonder is the great awakener of the attention, and attention is the condition of clear knowledge. Curiosity is evidently placed in our spirits as the stimulus to inquiry, the spur to wholesome and useful mental activities. The benevolence of the Creator is also seen in His making the stimulus not an importunate [annoyance], but a pleasant one. Wonder is the source of a great fund of innocent enjoyment, which is as healthful for the mind as the pure air is for the lungs. Doubtless one of the great pleasures of Heaven will be wonder. The happy occupation of immortality will be the exercise of curiosity in exploring the marvels there presented to our knowledge. It may be at first glance supposed that, as novelty in objects is the condition of our wonder, one result of the acquisition of knowledge will be to diminish our capabilities for wonder; that, as we learn more and more, there will remain fewer and fewer objects capable of administering to our curiosity. This may afford us a very good probable argument to show that this finite life and world of ours do not constitute the whole of man's destiny. The wonders of terrestrial nature have novelty enough to employ our curiosity at least during our threescore years and ten. When we pass into a wider sphere, we shall have for studies the whole universe, which is practically illimitable, and the perfection and ways of the Infinite Maker and Ruler. The appetite is immortal, but the banquet spread before it is inexhaustible.

Does not this analysis of this feeling tell us by Nature's loudest voice that we are all designed to see this knowledge? Here is the proper scope of our being. Ignorance is our greatest opprobrium next to vice, and next to the pursuit of virtue the pursuit of true knowledge is the chief honor and blessing of our nature.

Dabney's observations remind me of C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy with its sense of exploration and wonder.

Some people have asked, "Won't we get bored in heaven just singing and praising God all day?" Well, no. I don't think we would get bored doing that, but I also thing that when his kingdom comes in its fullness, we will be doing more. Learning all the time. We will still be exploring, perhaps flying to other planets and solar systems ("Let's go to Mars today!"). From Earth, we can only see a tiny fraction of the world that God created. Some day, we'll be able to explore it all and everyday, it will fill us with wonder.