Here is an excerpt from my latest article “Turn to the Beatitudes” published in St. Anthony Messenger, A link to the full article is provided at the end.
Christianity is in the news on a regular basis these days. Where I live, in Texas, there is increasing pressure to legislate teaching the Bible in public schools. Elsewhere we hear more about book banning. Our president once marketed a version of the Bible from which he made money. Not long into his presidency, he publicly attacked a minister who urged him to deal with such issues as immigration from a position of compassion.
I find myself wondering what Jesus would think of the modern version of the religion and teachings named after him. I wonder if he would even recognize it. In my own distress over the current state of Christianity, I return to the core of Jesus’ teachings—the beatitudes—to see what light they would offer me.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he outlines the essence of a Christian lifestyle. It is more than a guide for how to treat others; it is a reference point for all of us in assessing ourselves as Christians. As with many things Jesus said, it can also be twisted to serve one’s own purpose.
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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Clearly, Jesus looked with compassion on the poor as well as the marginalized and called us to do the same. In these divisive times and as we search for solutions to difficult issues such as immigration, it is important to note that Jesus called us all to reach out with compassion to those whom society might judge. He was on the side of AIDS patients when they were being judged. He is also on the side of the oppressed immigrant seeking safety for his or her family.
Jesus is calling us to also address our attachments. Fortune. Fame. Power. Unhealthy attachments such as drugs, alcohol, self-centered sex. Jesus calls us to free ourselves from such attachments.
It’s apparent to me that many Christians today exhibit considerable attachments to wealth and power, attachments that are at odds with being poor in spirit.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Jesus, being human, mourned. When confronted with the death of his friend Lazarus, Jesus wept. At times, we are faced with dying to some part of ourselves. Perhaps we are faced with limitations through failure. Perhaps our health is challenged. Perhaps we are addicted. You might think it odd, but in many recovery programs, the recovering addict has to grieve the “death” of the addict. Often we must grieve before moving on to a new chapter in our lives.
Jesus also suggests here that the loss I mourn will not be magically undone. In times of loss, none of us can fix the loss. What we can offer to one another is presence and comfort. We cannot minimize loss with thoughts about God’s will. What we can do is listen.
When my mother died unexpectedly some years ago, I do not recall what different people said to me at her funeral. But I remember who was there. I remember the comfort I found, not in what they said, but simply in their presence.
The full article is available at https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/turn-to-the-beatitudes/
