Bulletin 2-5-17

Winston Churchill once described a political opponent of his as “a modest little man who had a good deal to be modest about.” We often have that modest little man’s problem…we feel proud of our humbleness! In Dicken’s novel, David Copperfield, we are introduced to the icon of false humility, Uriah Heep. From Dickens’ pen: “I am well aware that I am the umblest person going,” said Uriah Heep, modestly; “let the other be where he may. My mother is likewise a very umble person. We live in a umble abode, Master Copperfield, but have much to be thankful for. My father’s former calling was umble…Father and me was both brought up at a foundation school for boys; and mother, she was likewise brought up at a public, sort of charitable, establishment. They taught us all a deal of umbleness—not much else that I know of, from morning to night. We was to be umble to this person, and umble to that; and to pull off our caps here, and to make bows there; and always to know our place, and abase ourselves before our betters. And we had such a lot of betters! Father got the monitor-medal by being umble. So did I. Father got made a sexton by being umble. He had the character, among the gentlefolks, of being such a well-behaved man, that they were determined to bring him in. ‘Be umble, Uriah, says father to me, ‘and you’ll get on. It was what was always being dinned into you and me at school; it’s what goes down best. Be umble, says father, and you’ll do!” And really it ain’t done bad ‘” On hearing this, David Copperfield comments to the reader, “It was the first time it had ever occurred to me, that this detestable cant of false humility might have originated out of the Heep family. I had seen the harvest, but had never thought of the seed.” Uriah was very proud of how “umble he was.” Our need is to gain the spirit of humility, something Uriah Heep knew nothing about.