Summit, Spirit, Sky: connect to community and creation!
Pure. This word is full of virtue, isn’t it? It suggests something that is untainted, untouched, or in archaic terms, virginal. In some contexts, it means something cleansed, sanctified, and set apart. Can you take your heart — metaphorically — out of your chest, divided from the whole of yourself? Separate it from body, mind, […]
Matthew 5: 7-8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ” SUNDAY, Mar 14: BLESSED Some translators use the word ‘happiness’ as another meaning for ‘blessed.’ As if the blessing confers a state of happiness upon those who have been […]
Reciprocity is once more at the heart of this blessing. We are the people who have witnessed and responded to others’ pain, hurt, and suffering. In turn, we are the ones who need — and hopefully receive — compassion and kindness. It’s easier to be on the giving end of this blessing, than on the […]
Now the Beatitudes take a turn. Who are the merciful? They would seem to have some power. Some agency. Some choice. What is mercy anyway? John Stott says, ‘Mercy is compassion for people in need.’ Another scholar substituted the word kind in lieu of merciful. The Message’s contemporary wording of the Gospel reframes this Beatitude […]
God promises comfort for those who are heartbroken. The simplest understanding of consolation is that people will regain the capacity to experience healing and joy. Interpreters also assert that comfort will come within the anticipation of being forgiven and restored to a more healthy and whole self, and reconciled to Godself. Sometimes our comfort […]
