Mennonite Weekly Review

Almost every Mennonite probably has heard or said some-thing like, “We’re proud — in a humble sort of way.” The statement reveals a Christian dilemma that afflicts Mennonites more than most. Believers are to be humble but also bold, meek but also courageous. How is that possible?

In the Anabaptist tradition, humility is prized. The fact that many of us still practice footwashing — re-enacting Jesus’ demonstration of putting others ahead of himself — shows the importance we place on an attitude of humility.

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to show that “no servant is greater than his master” (John 13:16). The Master performed the task of a servant. His disciples could do no less.

Why have Mennonites taken to heart the third Beatitude, “blessed are the meek”? Perhaps it is because humility springs from the same scriptural root as nonviolence. In Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practice, John D. Roth gets to the heart of it: “True faith is always noncoercive.”

Roth outlines the idea: Just as Christ loved us while we were sinners — “enemies of God” (Rom. 5:10) — we also love our enemies. Just as Christ voluntarily gave up power and became a servant, we also serve others. Both examples of Christlikeness use no force. They do not exert power. Their influence comes from the ability to produce a voluntary response.

“The method of proclaiming the gospel has to be consistent with the noncoercive substance of the message,” Roth writes. Since God wants to win us over with love, it would be contradictory for us to present God’s invitation to others with a posture of arrogance.

Historians say the high point of Mennonite “humility theology” occurred in the 19th century. As persecution became a distant memory, outward signs of humility, such as plain clothing, enabled members to show their separation from the status-seeking world. Ways to offer a humble alternative to the world’s striving for power and prestige remain abundant today.

Jesus said humility is its own reward: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). And Paul had the perfect answer to the dilemma of prideful humility: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).