Right so shalt thou love thy neighbour. If he be good and righteous thou shalt love him by charity in God only; in that he is good and righteous; for then lovest thou God (who is goodness and righteousness) in him, and so thou lovest him more than if he were bad or in deadly sin. As, for example, thy enemies who hate thee, or any other of whom thou hast full evidence they are not in grace; yet notwithstanding shalt thou love them, not as they are, nor as good and righteous men (for they are bad and unrighteous), but thou shalt love them for God, that they may be good and righteous. And so shalt thou hate nothing in them, but that thing which is contrary to righteousness, and that is sin. This is as I understand the doctrine of St Augustine, for to distinguish the love of the man from the hatred of his sin, and the love of thy neighbour. He that is humble, or desires truly to be humble, can thus love his neighbour, and none but he. (John Climacus)

To be humble is to be grounded, to be rooted, to draw strength from the source of creation.

There are limitations, but also an experience of depth. Challenges continue and loss, but there is innate resilience.

From such roots comes forth shade for all and fruit for any who pass by.

The image is of the Trinity Root, a sycamore tree sheltered St. Paul's Chapel from the blast created by the falling World Trade Towers. The tree itself was ripped out of the ground. The artist, Steve Tobin, made a mold of the stump from the tree to form a large sculpture called Trinity Root.