35.40 LCK Surprised by Arrogance


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35/40

From the desk of Dr. Laurence C. Keene

Surprised by Arrogance
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O God, I am so surprised at how alive and well the arrogant spirit is these days.

I
can even see it in the sandbox where sometimes one little child thinks
he or she knows what is right for all the other little children in the
box. I see it in the intimacy of friendships and loving relationships
where one or both partners seeks to control the mind or behavior of the
other. And, I am most surprised that arrogance appears to flourish the
strongest in the hallowed assemblies of religious communities. It is
there, in the inner sanctum of the sacred, where humility seems to
suffer its greatest abuse.

So-called holy leaders pronounce with
the greatest certainty their gospel of truth. Seldom do they waver or
even hesitate in the boldness with which they speak on your behalf, O
God. The one thing I have observed about arrogant people is that they
are never tentative. They never hesitate in the face of the
overwhelming task that finite creatures have in trying to understand
the infinite mind of God. They make truth-seeking appear to be absurdly
simple. One would think that such an awesome thought would afflict us
all with a great sense of humility. Sadly, dear Lord, the arrogant seem
to not be so afflicted.

Keep me humble and open to your
continual correction and guidance, O Lord. Empty me of my conceit so I
can be more filled with your spirit. Don’t let me be so full of what I
think is right that I cannot see what you think is good.

Love,

Larry.

larry@rotb.org

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