Beatitude Living

Jesus was poor.
He gave up his profession, his home, his family to accept a life of wandering, of not knowing where his next meal was coming from, of depending on the Father for all his needs.

Jesus was poor in spirit.
He sought out those of greatest need in his society and met those needs.  He reveled in relationships with the outcast, and gave up his comfortable lifestyle to find them.

Jesus mourned.
He wept at suffering, his own as well as others.  He wept at the limitations that kept people from thriving.  He wept at the systems that kept people oppressed. 

Jesus was meek.
He spoke boldly, which led to his incarceration.  He acted out truth, which led to his condemnation.  He was silent about his own innocence, which led to his death.

Jesus hungered and thirsted for justice.
Jesus taught his disciples to cry out for justice in the Lord’s Prayer.  Jesus acted for justice in small towns, in the wilderness, in the midst of a busy temple, before the governor.  Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus hungered.
He fed the thousands before eating.  He spoke to the outcast woman and was satisfied.

Jesus was merciful.
He saw, really saw, the poor.  And then he acted, meeting their needs although he had nothing to give.

Jesus was pure of heart.
Jesus wasn’t a teacher who spoke of love but hated.  He never took advantage of another, but always gave. He didn’t just speak the truth, he acted it. 

Jesus was a peacemaker.
He met needs.  He comforted.  He showed that the “enemies” of the people were often friends of God. He created a community of love.

Jesus was persecuted.
Jesus was rejected.  Jesus was threatened.  Jesus was hated.  Jesus was beaten.  Jesus was tortured.  Jesus was killed.

For all this, Jesus obtained new life.
He received the kingdom.
He laughs with joy.
He inherited the earth.
He obtained justice.
He is well fed.
He receives the mercy of the Father.
He sees God.
He is called the Son of God.
He obtained the reward of the prophets.  And more.

A second chance of life is only obtained through the path of Jesus.

Poverty and Power (Poverty of Spirit 4)

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

God is not opposed to the self-sufficient.  He does not hate those who rely on their own strength to make their lives what they are.  God has blessed them with a created world which he called “good” and set them in it to make their way.  They make their lives, they create their comfort, they establish all they are on their own and God blesses them.

But not all are able to establish themselves.  Some work all their lives and never escape suffering.  Some have established themselves, but through tragedy or disaster their well-made lives have crumbled.  Some are torn apart by others, seeking to establish themselves on the backs of those vulnerable to their power, leaving them nothing with which to establish themselves. There are some who have no choice but to recognize that they are poor and helpless.  They have done all they can, picked themselves up, stepped forward, only to find themselves fallen again. 

It is these whom God offers not just a casual blessing, but overwhelming support and real help. 

God is the judge who listens to the widow.  God is the healer who heals the bleeding woman whom the doctors cannot help.  God is the father who welcomes the starving prodigal home.  God is the one who feeds the hungry in the wilderness.  God is the one who grants the barren woman a child.

God is the power, the strength of the poor.  The self-sufficient do not need help, they are fine on their own.  But the sick who cannot be healed, the poor whose hunger left them weak, the sinner who can’t escape their shame, the immigrant who does not see a friendly face, the outcast who doesn't know why they can’t make it on their own, the mentally weak who cannot make decisions on their own… God is there to be their strength because they have no power.

What about those who do not do all they can to help themselves?  What if they are just dependent on God because they decided that it is better to rely on Him than on themselves?  These lazy religious fanatics, who think they can tempt God and get away without standing on their own, what does God give them?

He gives them all they need.

There are those who sell all they have and give it to the poor, at the command of God—God is there to provide for them.  There are those who surrender their well-paying jobs to help the weak for nothing—these fools are also supported by God.  The one who loves God’s ways, despite their family’s hatred and become homeless because they have no support, no help on earth—God is there for them.   Those who refuse judgment in God’s name and will not do violence even to those who do violence to them—God is there to support them.

This does not mean that they do not suffer.  They may hunger, they may be cold at times, they may be occasionally friendless, they may even die at the hand of their persecutors.  Yet, somehow, they know they can rely on God. 

The persecuted David, who faced death, was confident of God’s support.  “The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord… All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, all those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive.”  Even when faced with death, even when one goes beyond death, God does not forget his promise of protection and life. 

In this is the resurrection.  The resurrection is not for those who are religious enough to prove their worth.  Rather, it is for those who suffered so much for good and for love that God determines that they must have a second chance on life.  Resurrection is for the hopeless suffering who deserve a life of comfort.  For those who have surrendered all comfort for the sake of Love.

God never forgets his promise to be the power of life for the poor.

Madness

Jesus is the piper, and we are the children.  He is leading us the asylum, so we can be mad for love as He is.

He provides rain and food to all, even to the ungrateful, even to the wicked.

Even so, we shall not ask, “Who is my enemy that I am to love?”  Rather, we should see all people as enemies so we may lavish on them the love that only our enemy deserves.

We shall see all people as our neighbors so that we could give them all manner of things that they do not deserve.

We shall give praise to the criminal, so that they might repent from the kindness of God.

We shall bless those who threaten us and our families so that we might know the blessings of love.

We shall take those who take advantage of us and give them even more so that we might be filled with the riches of God.

We shall lay hands on those who deserve to be beaten and pray for their healing.

We shall embrace the sinner and offer them forgiveness.

Such is the madness of Christ!  Embrace it!  Do not allow yourself to be swayed by sanity, for the love of Christ compels us!  Give in to the madness, for only in surrendering completely to mercy will we receive mercy!

Only in poverty shall we obtain the kingdom of God!

Only in making peace shall we be called the sons of God!

Only in embracing suffering shall we be heirs with Christ!

Clothe yourself with the madness of Christ! 

And if the strains of love are so much that you go to bed each night as though beaten;

If you collapse under the weight of the burden of love;

If you cry out to mercy from God because you can no longer raise your head from love—

Then at least do this, do not harm!

Keep your silence rather than speak abuse.

Keep still rather than hit your brother.

Starve yourself rather than withhold bread from the hungry.

In this we shall learn the infinite patience and grace of God. 

In this we are transformed in our minds.

In this we become saints.

In everything we do, we must love

In everything we don’t do, we must love.

Let us become drunk on the cup of love,

Rejoicing with those who rejoice

And weeping with those who weep—

Let the party begin!