Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (NIV)
Recently, oldest son cleaned his room. Rather I cleaned his room because I was so irritated by it and figured it was easier to spend a day cleaning it than walk around with all that anger a moment longer. But, in a moment of genius, I told him that he owed me $100. He paid up. Now, you can see the floor in his room and I had the money to buy a new cabinet that I wanted to hold small appliances in the kitchen. Two spaces cleaned at once! I realized that one reason that his room was such a wreck was because he had no place to put his clothes. He needed a dresser. Which I also made him pay for. That was an expensive weekend for him. Hopefully, he learned a lesson. Instead of a dresser, he purchased a large wardrobe with mirrored doors. Once he and husband got it together, we had fun laughing at the dogs’ reaction to that new floor to ceiling mirror. The Corgi, Sai, did not like the new dog that looked like him, but could not have been him. He backed away from the mirror, then, bowed up and raised his tail issuing a low rumbly growl worthy of a bear. When he got no response from the intruder, he walked around to the back of the wardrobe searching and sniffing. I am not sure what to say about the Chessies response except to relate that they both walked right into the mirror head first. One dog saw a threat and got angry, while the other two did not appear to notice anything wrong. There has been a lot in the news lately that is upsetting. Church goers killed in the one place that there should be peace. Christians, held up as role models, caught in sin and trying to cover up that sin with excuses and lies. People in authority abusing their power. Politicians grandstanding when they should be on their faces in humility. Anger. Blame. Fear. And the media stirring the pot from every angle brewing up a bitter concoction of division and turmoil. Victims everywhere, some dead, others living with the consequences of abuse. What are we to do? Get bristly and defensive like Sai? Bury our heads in the sand like Cory and Summer? Jesus clearly told us that this world would be filled with hardship. But, He went a step further admonishing us to be different, like a light set upon the hill. How does that difference show? When we follow this command found in the same sermon as the Beatitudes listed above, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In the face of injustice and hatred, God is still in control and we are called to love.
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