“Pride and Prejudice” is one of my all time favorite novels. The Jane Austen, English classic has been made into multiple miniseries and movies. Yes, it is a love story, but it is so much more than that. Austen’s characters grow, owning how their pride was manifested through various prejudices (hence the title), over the course of time and various conflicts created by their pride. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, of course (spoiler alert), overcome their prejudices, swallow various types of humble pie, and get together in the end with everyone living happily, ever after.

I know I am probably sounding like the English teacher I am here, but there are some pretty good reasons this novel has endured. The themes surrounding people’s pride and prejudices supersede time and culture and continue to resonate still today. The absurdity of a few characters continue to provide comic relief, but if the reader examines the pages closely, we can all relate to their feelings of superiority, jumping to conclusions when assumptions are made, and coming to realize, that upon closer examination, not everyone is all bad.

But perhaps one of the main reasons that I continue to love this novel is the way that the characters do grow and change over time. There is self-realization and with it comes honesty. Empathy plays a part too and the characters learn from their mistakes. I cannot relate to the Bennett Sisters in going to balls or traveling the English countryside in horse-drawn carriages, but I do know all too well what it feels like to grow as a person and to have to swallow my pride by owning how my assumptions led me to jump to false conclusions or even vilify a person (or group of people).

In this attempt of bettering myself, I am using my summer vacation from teaching to read some things I haven’t had the time to read during the school year. I haven’t cracked open any of Austen’s novels yet, but I am enjoying another English author, C.S. Lewis. I am slowly, but very surely, working through his thoughts in “Mere Christianity.” In it, he refers to pride as “The Great Sin” and that it “leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” Of course, Lewis’ arguments are very logical. He talks about how, at its root, pride is where we take “pleasure of being above the rest” and how “a proud man is always looking down on things and people:.” He addresses self-righteousness when he finishes that last thought with this phrase: “and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” In the same paragraph he says, “As long as you are proud you cannot know God.”

Lewis is right. If my eyes are fixed on how I am better than others – whether I are gazing at myself (with my good deeds and my better-than-yours morality), or I am peering down on someone I know judging them because they aren’t as good as me – I have no need for God, no need for Jesus, no need for a savior.

Lately, in my Bible reading, I have been reading many of wise King Solomon’s proverbs. His sayings are not promises, but they do make a lot of sense. (I can see where many of Austen’s characters could have benefitted from following his wisdom.) There are reminders in his proverbs for me to guard my speech, and to be humble (not prideful). Foolish people are prideful, boasting, and throwing words around carelessly.

Today, especially today, on social media there are many prideful people posting all kinds of things. There are people who are proud of their patriotism on all sides of the political spectrum. There are people who are proud of their positions with lots of posturing on why they are right and everyone else isn’t just wrong, but somehow evil. There are people who are proud of their protests of what they feel isn’t right with pictures of placards and posters.

I have been tempted to swear off all social media for the rest of day. The angry voices and the fear mongering trigger my own pride and self-righteousness. Yet, I know looking away will not develop the humility I wish to cultivate within myself. Where do I start? I could seek to follow and apply the proverbs I’ve been reading, but even before I do that, I found some additional wisdom in Lewis’ words this morning:

“If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. at least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” – C.S. Lewis.

I need to have some self-realization like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. I need to own my pride and all its prejudices. I need to sit humbly before my God, recognizing like the apostle Paul, that He is indeed the only thing I can boast in. It is by His grace alone, I am who I am, I believe what I believe and I have anything good worth being prideful about. I am not better then. I do not have all the answers. I cannot make it all right. But I can turn toward the One who shows the ultimate humility and make Him the focus of my soul.