Pride vs. Equality

This week has been filled with a lot of pride - Canadian Pride, Gay Pride, and also American Pride.  It has been leading me to think about whether pride is a good thing or not.  Clearly our society thinks it is a good thing to be proud - proud of your Country, proud of your sexuality, proud of your achievements, education, and of YOU.   It's all a little self serving isn't it?  Shouldn't we instead be focusing on others - including others in our plans, lifting one another up, uniting and loving instead of showing off how great we are?  I think the world would be a much better place if everyone was a little less proud and a little more accepting of others.  I think we should strive for equality instead of pride.  Pride often divides instead of unites.  Though it may not be the intent, when you display pride it infers whatever you are proud of is better than others.  Proud to be Canadian ... rather than some poor other soul that was born in another Country?  Yes, we have much to be thankful about here in Canada.  I love Canada.  I think my grandparents made a good choice by coming here when the war made them flee their home land.  Canada offers freedoms that many other Countries don't.  Celebrate the great things our Country has to offer and be thankful to God for your freedom, but don't be proud.  Being Canadian, American, Gay, Straight, White, Black, or talented in singing or cooking or whatever other talent God gave you doesn't mean you are automatically a better person than someone who is different, and you probably had very little to do with your ability or nationality or sexuality to begin with.   


The bible says "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." (Romans 12:16).  

The Websters dictionary says pride is conceit, self-respect, distain, and "the best".  A few quotes I found online:  "Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals"  (Fulton J. Sheen), and "Pride is the perpetual weakness of the natural man which seeks satisfaction in ascending above others."

Self respect is a good thing but let's focus on respecting others first and once we all do this we will all be happier with who we are and respectful of ourselves as well.  I am not saying I do not have pride.  I struggle with it as much as anyone.  I am proud of my child, my church, my home, some of my talents, my intelligence, etc...   But I don't want to be.  I want to be humble and I want to be a servant of God - allowing Him to take credit for anything positive that I have, do and say.  I want to acknowledge myself as I am - equal to every other human on earth - not better, not worse.  Anything which I am better at or have more of than another has come from God anyway - so it is not I that should be proud.