Pastor Isaac Jacobo Responds to "The Power of Humility" by A. Leroy Moore

AUTHOR - ISAAC JACOBO
Pastor Isaac Jacobo currently serves as the Associate Pastor at the San Diego Broadway Spanish Church and Grupo Betel. He is married to Cynthia - 1.5 years. They have a wonderful son who is 8 months old named Michael.
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The principles found in The Power of Humility apply to all areas of life as an introduction to understanding conflicts and the practice of humility. It requires people who call themselves Progressive, Fundamentalist, Democrat, Republican etc. to experience the cross of Christ in a way that abandons selfishness daily and allows Christ to empower humanity with the ability to relate and empathize with people labeled by your peers as acrimonious.

Progressive and Fundamentalist religious groups have a commonality with Socialist Democrats and MAGA wearing Republicans. In fact, all diametrically opposed factions struggle with the same issue: bipartisanship. If anything, the siege of the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C. shows the necessity of finding common ground between opposing ideals. The problem is, nobody is willing. No self-respecting card-carrying member is willing to relate to the other side with a meek heart. Someone who is comfortable with their own worldview finds no reason to empathize with their opponents. This is the issue that The Power of Humility by A. Leroy Moore addresses. Fittingly, the subtitle asks, “What to do when you are right.” This type of inquiry stimulates a deep wrestling with the core principles, God, and self. The power of humility then is apparent when the reader becomes aware that they are the problem as well as the solution.

Such awareness is Moore’s hope as he covers various historical periods to show how champions of different eras propagate parti pris.[1] His historical perspective is meant to show that the underlying issues of history are the same; the inability to relate to the opposing factions or as Moore states, a lack of humility. Humility is then, for Moore is a description of people who learn how to genuinely listen and understand where others are coming from and acknowledge where agreement can be found.[2]

The historical failures previously mentioned come from a constant desire to be right. Moore confesses that this desire cannot be repudiated by the mental or physical powers of a person.[3] Everyone naturally wants to be right. This self-evident truth disqualifies humanity from achieving this kind of humbleness. Therefore, a person’s desire is to advance their own interests downplaying all others who disagree.

It is in this context that power becomes dangerous. The more power and influence a person has over others means they can impose their rightness on others willingly or forcefully. Moore calls this kingly power.[4] It is a “survival of the fittest” mentality that rallies troops for war, gives cause for genocides, holocausts, empowers racism, and breeds hostility even in something as simple as board meetings. This self-propagating power according to Moore, is what Jesus’ disciples craved. A prime example is the account of James and John’s mother speaking to Jesus for the purpose of claiming power for her sons.[5]

The antithesis of self-power according to Moore can only come from an exterior source outside of humanity. That source is Jesus.[6] Jesus empowers the mental and physical capacities to be humble: surrender one’s point of view to understand and empathize with those who are diametrically opposed. The answer is in experiencing Jesus hanging on the cross and realizing that he died an unjust death for their sins brought out through selfishness. Says Moore, “Only through the power of humility and love, can anyone resist the intensity of pride and experience sanctifying power.”[7] Only as the power of Christ’s selflessness infuses with the human psyche can anyone produce the supernatural ability called humility.

With this otherworldly endowment, humanity can discern a group’s cherishing of an element of reality while at the same time resist opposite balancing elements that appear to threaten the one, they are defending.[8] Even in Biblical readings, there can appear alleged contradictions where verses are set against each other. However, a complete Biblical understanding cannot, would not, be comprehensively internalized until the two texts contended are sustained together offering a complete picture.[9]

Examples of such texts are as follows:

Proverbs 26.4 & Proverbs 26.5 ESV
· “Answer not a fool.”
· “Answer a fool.”
Complete Picture: Do not lower yourself to the level of fools by arguing with them, but also identify the fool’s need to be challenged.[10]

Matthew 5.16 & Matthew 6.1 ESV
· “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works.”
· “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.”
Complete Picture: Let others see your actions but do not seek approval or merit for it.

Ecclesiastes 7.16 & Ecclesiastes 7.17 NIV
· “Do not be over righteous, neither be overwise, why destroy yourself?”
· “Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool, why die before your time?”
Complete Picture: “Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” Ecclesiastes 7.18

In additions to these textual examples, Moore highlights broader theological themes such as justice and mercy that seemingly appear to be opposing elements people choose. However, when law and grace are combined, a better picture of the gospel is understood (Psalms 85.10, DA 762).[11]

With this scriptural perception, Christians in any organization can discern pieces of the whole picture their organization highlights, but also perceive the elements they deemphasize highlighted by opposing bodies. Because of this, Moore expresses that the only way to see the complete picture is to assemble communities of people who think differently and oppositely to undertake discussions on the issues of life.[12] When individuals or organizations decline to have these kinds of open honest discussions with dissenting groups, they embody precisely what it means to be a heretic. Moore defines heresy as truth tainted with falsity that can only be expelled through a community exercising humility.[13] Believers who hold the Bible and/or the risen Christ in high esteem, become advocates of reconciliation and open honest discussions on theology, Christian conduct, abortion, immigration etc.

Jubilee Media, a channel on YouTube, is an excellent example of how this kind of conversation can occur. It is common on their channel to have individuals of differing views sit and have an honest conversation on polarizing issues. Their profile reads, “We bridge people together and inspire love through videos that touch the soul. We believe in the power of empathy for human good. #EmbraceEmpathy.”[14]

Just as Jubilee Media demonstrates an online non-Christian avenue where open honest conversations can occur, political spheres can also find this approach to be useful where Moore’s principles of reconciliation can flourish. Elected representatives from all walks of life with different lenses of reality come together to discuss in a communal way on how the United States should proceed. They should never consist solely of like-minded people because in doing so they would present an incomplete picture. At the same time, self-power must be forsaken because it hinders people from listening to their colleagues and pushes people to use their power to undermine others. Moore states, “God endows civil officials with authority yet, outside their office neither policeman nor judge has any more personal authority than the lowest citizen.”[15] Power must never be used to undermine others and force their point of view on the country.[16]

The principles found in The Power of Humility apply to all areas of life as an introduction to understanding conflicts and the practice of humility. It requires people who call themselves Progressive, Fundamentalist, Democrat, Republican etc. to experience the cross of Christ in a way that abandons selfishness daily and allows Christ to empower humanity with the ability to relate and empathize with people labeled by your peers as acrimonious.

Over five decades, Moore has seen countless conflicts within the Seventh-day Adventist church as well as in American politics, turn sour. This has inspired him to make the focus of his ministry, reconciliation. Through Moore’s religo-philosophical quest, he has discovered that points of contention are not usually the subject matters debated, but the conduct of people towards others. As a pastor in several conferences, he has used his own principles in confrontations and saw merit in them. When issues such as the book Questions of Doctrine arose, he found a place where to put his principles to the test in a meaningful way. He found that the disagreements all had the same underlying issue: a lack of humility within all parties involved.

Both the principles of the book and the author mean so much to me because I had a personal relationship with them. I recall the day he spoke to my peers and challenged my conservative perspective of the world. His core principles mentioned in this paper showed me that my rightness and my pride did not allow me to relate and empathize with others who I disagreed with. Even though I continue to struggle with my own selfishness and biases, Moore has taught me to make friends out of enemies and look at conflicting issues and people with mercy and forgiveness. His foundation has equipped me for my training at La Sierra University. Undoubtedly, Moore’s work on reconciliation is truly the most simplistic and effective place for students in all walks of life to use as a basis for creating a perspective of the world.








[1] Examples include the redemption of Peter’s racism and social inequality conflicts with Paul, the failed bankrupted movement of the Protestant Reformation, and Adventist doctrinal debates such as the 1880s.A. Leroy. Moore, The Power of Humility: What to Do When Are Right (2011), pg.13 (Peter & Paul), 31-44 (Protestant Reformation), chap. 7 (Adventism).

[2] Ibid. pg. 3

[3] Ibid. pg. 2-3

[4] Ibid. pg. 15,

[5] Ibid. pg.2-3, 170-171

[6] Ibid. pg. 1-3, 133-137

[7] Ibid. pg. 3

[8] Ibid. pg. 7-8

[9] While this idea is present in Power of Humility, it is better described in A. Leroy Moore Adventist Cultures in Conflict: Principles of Reconciliation (Moore Publishing 2009) specifically on pg. 12 and 21.

[10] A. Leroy Moore Adventist Cultures in Conflict: Principles of Reconciliation (Moore Publishing 2009). pg.12

[11] While this idea is present in Power of Humility, it is better described in Adventist Cultures in Conflict specifically on pg. 13-14.

[12] A. Leroy. Moore, The Power of Humility: What to Do When Are Right (2011), pg. 332.

[13] Ibid. pg. 148-149

[14] Jubilee Media. " We bridge people together and inspire love through videos that touch the soul." Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/jubileemedia/about.

[15] A. Leroy. Moore, The Power of Humility: What to Do When Are Right (2011), pg. 50.

[16] Ibid. pg. 12.

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