Articles

The Humble Heart

Peabody, Cynthia Reville

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

When I was a child, I said the same bedtime prayer every night: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine." I don’t recall ever thinking about the words of the prayer, or understanding exactly why I would want a "humble heart." It is only now, decades later, that I have given considerable thought to what a "humble heart" might be. My interest in the oft misunderstood virtue of humility was sparked by the work I do at the Center for the Study of Science and Religion (CSSR) at the Earth Institute of Columbia University. My colleagues at the CSSR who are microbiologists, ecologists, cosmologists, and primatologists have clearly shown me that the natural sciences have much to teach theologians about humility.

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Union Seminary Quarterly Review
Publisher
Union Theological Seminary

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Academic Units
Union Theological Seminary
Publisher
Union Theological Seminary
Series
Union Seminary Quarterly Review
Published Here
September 10, 2015