Humanness

I have moaned about my dismal task of disposing old books of sermons, brown, mottled, and often massively dated in language and tone though not, I hasten to add, outdated in message. Admittedly, a little patience is sometimes needed when reading!  I also have several preacher biographies - sometimes massive tomes!  Thinking of John Watson, also known as author Ian Maclaren, I shall need to ditch his heavy biography along with his other books I mentioned a post ago.  Written in 1908, it charts his full life: studying in Edinburgh and Germany, minister in Edinburgh, Glasgow and 25 years in Liverpool, acclaimed novelist, theologian, involved in founding Westminster College, Cambridge,  interacting with the good and great on wide travels, especially in the USA. And it turns out, especially compassionate about the ordinary mortals he met too. That's what always interests me when I read a biography. What kind of person was he? 

• Top of the list, his distinguishing characteristic was humanness. 'It was said of him at his death that nearly every man on the streets of Liverpool was more or less affected in the loss. He gave himself to everyone he met - the most accessible of men and with this great generosity'. 
• Happiness - his affectionate family life and rich friendships. For him a happy day was strenuous labour followed by time with family and friends.
• Humility - 'no great preacher was ever less elated on a Sunday night...because he felt his service was so poor and ineffectual.'
• Religious conviction - his faith in Christ was central with a key theme of immortal hope.  'Convinced of the emptiness of all human desires and efforts if they end in death...he had much of the mystic's certainty'. 
• Grace towards others - a great encourager of others, with compassion for those he saw unfairly criticized.

Of course there were other aspects such as his drivenness and depression - which makes some of the

above even more remarkable.

When I read this I was particularly struck by the word humanness. I don't think I have ever used it before and yet it sums up so well the best of being a human being.  And as the Advent season gathers pace towards the coming of Christ in flesh it seem a very apt word to keep in mind.  The greatest expression ever of humanness