Scripture: Habakkuk 2:4 – “Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.” (NRSV)
Most people are familiar with the expression, “hoist with his own petard.” It originally comes from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and relates to the ironic reversal. A petard is a kind of Renaissance bomb. So, someone who is hoist with his petard is one who is blown up by the very thing which he hoped to harm others.
I hope most of you do not commonly use bombs to attack others or to defend yourself, but some of our other defensive measures still end up blowing up in our faces. My dog, Mary will raise the heckles along her spine to make herself look bigger when she barks at a squirrel or other perceived threat. It is comical to see a twenty-pound dog with ¾-inch-long fur try to look impressive. Perhaps the most famous example of an animal puffing themselves up is the puffer fish, who fills its stomach with water to appear much larger than it is.
Humans also try to appear larger than we are, but not with our hair or stomachs. We blow up our egos, trying to feel like we are more important or more intimidating than we actually are. And while confidence is important for success and self-esteem, overconfidence can lead to failure. The more we puff ourselves up, the more likely it is for things to blow up in our faces, just like Shakespeare’s engineer and his petard.
The more we double down on our own abilities the further we get from the truth and the further we get from God. The Holy Spirit has granted us so many gifts and talents that it is useless to lie to ourselves about our true strength. Our truth and our strength come through God. We do not need to blow ourselves up like a balloon, more and more until we explode. Instead, let us pop the balloons of our ego and through an honest assessment of ourselves, serve God’s will and make plain God’s love for the world.
Prayer: God, help us to turn away from what makes us feel powerful so we can share instead in your power and majesty. Amen.
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