Here's the one in Luke
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Luke 6:20-31
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In comparison, here's the one in Matthew.
Matthew 5:3-12
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It seems that the reading for today is focused more heavily on those who are truly poor and the one in Matthew focuses on the ones who are poor in spirit. They are both in the Gospel and I am inclined to think that both are equally important for us to ponder. In many ways, I conflate the two and think Christ was focused on all the poor in society, body, and spirit.
Last year, I blogged about creating my own list of the blessed, the Beatitudes 2.0 if you will. It came a presentation when Nadia Bolz-Weber visited to All Saints Pasadena and she offered her list. My list came out to be as follows
| Blessed are the poor in spirit, the spiritual but not religious the seekers of their authentic selves the suffering who begin to doubt because the pain never seems to end the sick who fear their own bodies the stranger in our midst who needs a smile, a hug, a friend the child afraid to venture outside lest the bullying return the scared who fear coming home lest they return to a place of anger and judgment for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, the spouse who lost the person they've loved deeper than we can understand the lovers who no longer find the trust and joy in each other's arms and say goodbye the child who doesn't understand why her parent won't be coming home anymore the friends who viewed a couple as one, as was meant to be, but now just find hollow eyes the family shocked at the loss of someone taken too soon by gun violence the relatives whose loss is viewed by others as collateral damage the breaking hearts who did not even have a chance to say goodbye the silent who must watch dementia steal someone's memories away leaving just a body for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, the teenager who stays in the closet, fearing that the name of their love will be discovered the pained who turn to the bottle or to pills to give them strength and energy the thinker and artist that lacks the opportunity to share the pastors who heal others but wonder who will tend to them the friend who realizes that somehow their bodies and souls don't fit a M/F binary the nurse who washes our sores the friend that listens to hear us, watches to see us, and grabs our hands to hold us for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the foreigner who is told to leave and go to a place of fear and hunger the friends who cannot walk down the street in a hoodie or even complain about injustice the mother who just wants to get affordable medical care to plan a family the inmate facing the final judgment of Man and not our Creator the families torn apart because of arbitrary rules regarding homeland the kneeling who face violence because of their love for God, YHWH, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, ... the proud who won't let others impose their bigotries on them for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, the heros who take care of us behind our backs the friends that know all will benefit from roads, sanitation, health, protection, education the families who reach out and adopt and care for all children, not just those that look like them the older sibling, real or implied, who has our backs the comadre and compadre who listen to our problems without judging us the teacher who gives of their own time to care for that special child the mother and father, sister and brother, who just want you to be happy for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, the custodians at the church, homeless shelter, and hospital the teachers who want the most for your child the person at the grocery line who lets you cut in front of them the staff at the store and restaurant that share the bathroom even if you didn't or can't buy anything the ranger who tends to our land so that future generations can marvel at Creation the homeowner who sees you lost, gives you water, and guides you home the friend who gives you a ride, cares for a prisoner, plants flowers on a trail for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, the police and judiciary that understand that true safety starts in trust the people who unite us as a human family, rather than divide us like spoils of war the artists, writers, and musicians who inspire us to love and compassion the fire crew that calms the fearful neighborhood the military who put their lives on the line for our protection and not for their glory the unknown missionary who lies in a shallow grave for the civil rights of brothers and sisters the good Samaritan whose name we never knew, or whose face we've already forgotten for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, the ones who care for the Children of God ignoring false idols ignoring their own egos ignoring the sense of their own righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
Perhaps because I've spent my career in software, I thought I would revisit this list and made some changes. I do this not because some things are less blessed than others but because sometimes, with the filter of time, you start to see things differently. I put in italics the areas that changed.
Blessed are those guided or seek guidance by a higher power
the poor in spirit,
the spiritual but not religious
the pious and self-righteous
the broken one feeling the weight of their perceived sins
the seekers of their authentic selves
the suffering who begin to doubt because the pain never seems to end
the sick who fear their own bodies
the stranger in our midst who needs a smile, a hug, a friend
the child afraid to venture outside lest the bullying return
the scared who fear coming home lest they return to a place of anger and judgment
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
the spouse who lost the person they've loved deeper than we can understand
the lovers who no longer find the trust and joy in each other's arms and say goodbye
the child who doesn't understand why her parent won't be coming home anymore
the friends who viewed a couple as one, as was meant to be, but now just find hollow eyes
the family shocked at the loss of someone taken too soon by
the relatives whose loss is viewed by others as collateral damage
the breaking hearts who did not even have a chance to say goodbye
the silent who must watch dementia steal someone's memories away leaving just a body
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
the woman who must remain meek and the man who must not be meek
the pained who turn to the bottle or to pills to give them strength and energy
the thinker and artist that lacks the opportunity to share
the pastors who heal others but wonder who will tend to them
the neighbor who realizes that somehow their bodies and souls don't fit a M/F binary
the nurse who washes our sores
the friend that listens to hear us, watches to see us, and grabs our hands to hold us
the person down the hall whom we intentionally or unintentionally oppress for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
the foreigner who is told to leave and go to a place of fear and hunger
the friends who cannot walk down the street in a hoodie or even complain about injustice
the mother who just wants to get affordable medical care to plan a family
the inmate facing the final judgment of Man and not our Creator
the families torn apart because of arbitrary rules regarding homeland
the kneeling who face violence because of their love for God, YHWH, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, ...
the proud who won't let others impose their bigotries on them
the neighbor whose land was taken & defiled by governments, industry, oil, & ourselves
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
the heros who take care of us behind our backs
the friends that know all will benefit from roads, sanitation, health, protection, education
the families who reach out and adopt and care for all children, not just those that look like them
the older sibling, real or implied, who has our backs
the comadre and compadre who listen to our problems without judging us
the teacher who gives of their own time to care for that special child
the mother and father, sister and brother, who just want you to be happy
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
the custodians at the church, homeless shelter, and hospital
the teachers who want the most for your child
the person at the grocery line who lets you cut in front of them
the staff at the store and restaurant that share the bathroom even if you didn't or can't buy anything
the ranger who tends to our land so that future generations can marvel at Creation
the homeowner who sees you lost, gives you water, gives you refuge, and guides you home
the friend who gives you a ride, cares for a prisoner, plants flowers on a trail
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
the police and judiciary that understand that true safety starts in trust
the people who unite us as a human family, rather than divide us like spoils of war
the artists, writers, and musicians who inspire us to love and compassion
the fire crew that calms the fearful neighborhood
the military who put their lives on the line for our protection and not for their glory
the unknown missionary who lies in a shallow grave for the civil rights of brothers and sisters
the good Samaritan whose name we never knew, or whose face we've already forgotten
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
the ones who care for the Children of God
ignoring false idols
ignoring their own egos
ignoring the sense of their own righteousness
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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In your world, what are YOUR beatitudes? And in your heart, who do you bless as Jesus would bless?
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