# @breyeschow on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj5ZL2Wu_76
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/18917028-breyeschow-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/c999b06648.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-10-19T13:21:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Bruce Reyes-Chow (@breyeschow) — https://gondola.cc/breyeschow

## Caption

This week's Weekly Word is inspired by the parable told in Luke 18:9-14 where the punchline is, "don't be a pompous asshat" or something like that :-) Basically, this is a parable that implores us not to think that we are better than others.

To be clear, I am totally on board with this concept of humility.

But here's the thing, I have also seen where humility is weaponized as a way to manipulate people into believing that God is not prodding them to explore different, even better places. We stifle curiosity and silence folks who are systematically excluded when they demand better by chastising them for being pushy, bossy, uppity, etc. We call them arrogant and insist that they take a posture of humility and submission when it is really about gaining and maintaining control and power. We insist that they know their place, a place more often than not, is located in some perceived location that is lower than ours.

Again, I am all for humility, especially when it helps us to grow more into who God hopes us to become, but there are times when we humanoids get humility all wrong and use it to hold others in those lower places so we can look down upon them . . . go figure, kind what Jesus' parable warns us against in the first place.
 
Humility
In our quest for the holy
  we too often weaponize humility.
Making others feel small
  so we can remain powerful.
Guilting others for hustling to survive
  so we can accumulate wealth.
Shaming others for wanting to taste delight
  so we can feast on opulence.
Denying the agency in the bodies of the other
  so we can maintain control for ourselves.
Blaming others for their lived chaos
  so we can play the savior of their lives.
God, let the humility we hope for all
  be a humility we can live for ourselves.
– AMEN
 
Published on #Patreon each Wednesday AM, each #WeeklyWord is a prayer, poem, or musing usually inspired by the upcoming Sunday lectionary passages for Christian Worship and flavored by current world events or random ideas that the Spirit whispers in my ear :-) To become a Patron and receive exclusive and early access to all the things visit my #Patreon via the #LinkInBio

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## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bruce Reyes-Chow | @breyeschow | https://gondola.cc/breyeschow | Writer/Author |

## Tags

weeklyword, linkinbio, patreon

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