Reverence and Awe
We are a society that has forgotten about reverence. Or at least we don't pay attention to it as we should. Reverence begins with the understanding of human limitations; and from this grows the capacity to be in awe of whatever we believe lies outside our control (God, truth, justice). It is the virtue that keeps human beings from trying to act like gods.
An irreverent soul is arrogant and shameless, unable to feel awe in the face of things higher than itself. When this happens, an irreverent soul is unable to feel respect for people it sees as lower than itself. Reverence, then, is actually about the ability to be in awe.
Effective servant-leaders understand their limitations. They accept that things are outside of their control. They are humble in the midst of others. They hold in awe those things that are beyond their own talents and the people who have those talents. And in so doing they display a virtue that has long been missing in today's "I-Can-Do-It-All" world: Reverence.
An irreverent soul is arrogant and shameless, unable to feel awe in the face of things higher than itself. When this happens, an irreverent soul is unable to feel respect for people it sees as lower than itself. Reverence, then, is actually about the ability to be in awe.
Effective servant-leaders understand their limitations. They accept that things are outside of their control. They are humble in the midst of others. They hold in awe those things that are beyond their own talents and the people who have those talents. And in so doing they display a virtue that has long been missing in today's "I-Can-Do-It-All" world: Reverence.
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