The Beatitudes in Action
By Dan WiesnerSpiritual Writings | Issues in the Church | Nonresistance | Life in Christ
Blessed is the man that prays for Osama bin Laden
Blessed is the man that prays that a fight between two men may stop and doesn't secretly hope to see someone get hurt.
Blessed is the man that lets his roommate's homeless friend stay at their apartment.
Blessed is the woman that does all the dishes in the kitchen, even when her four roommates dirtied all the dishes.
Blessed is the person that goes down to State Street to take a more needy person than himself or herself out to dinner.
Blessed is the man that cleans off a table at a coffee shop for someone that that just left it.
Blessed is the woman that misses class to bring a needy person to the store for some groceries.
Blessed is that emploee who prays for the boss who is very short and rude to him or her.
Blessed is the man that is able to admit he may be wrong while in a fight with his roommates.
Blessed is the man who turns his eyes from looking on a woman to lust after her.
Blessed is the woman that would try not the show off her body to attract the stares of men.
Blessed is the man that stops to even say hello to the beggar on the side of the street.
Blessed is the man that lets another person get the last seat on the Greyhound bus or an airplane before him (especially if the man must wait for the next bus or plane).
Blessed is the person who doesn't yell a curse word at someone who cut them off driving but rather waves and smiles, forgiving the mistake.
Blessed is the woman that puts extra minutes on her roommate's phonecard without letting her roommate know she did it.
Blessed is the man who buys all the milk at his apartment and never complains that his roommates never pitch in.
A lot of these things seem fairly small, and many, easy to do; BUT to do them continually, over and over and over again, without complaining or murmuring or even an evil thought ... would take Grace! To not judge hastily in one's heart, wanting to show another how wrong they are, but forgiving continually, even 70 times 7 times in a day...
The man that can give so much that his self is not even there; and then to go the next step and fill the void with God so that you can be as but a channel, acting towards others as the loving Creator would act towards his very own children. Now you can do this with whatever religion you want, but Jesus challenges you, through his words, that it will take more than a methodology of choice to be this kind, this loving, this compassionate toward poor souls. Because when the work is done for the day, and the void becomes observable of the temporarily displaced self, then the self and its desires creep back in and take precedence again. But Christ offers us something unparalleled in the multitude of religious methodologies ... the fact that it is not a methodology ... this is what he offers us to fill the void -- he offers himself. And being the only Son of the Almighty Creator God, (being divine himself) offers us POWER to do. That is, power to do the right thing and love in the right way, all the way. Power to do only that which God himself can do.
This is it, this is Christianity. Not merely a profession of the mouth, "I believe in Jesus," but an out-working of God's power and love through you in deed. But truly this comes at a high cost. And that cost is this: all you have, yes, your whole self. A forsaking of all. You must give your Self up. But it is the giving of your self that will reap that which you yourself could have never attained by your own means. And what is that? It is complete love and fellowship with the Maker of all creation and perfect love and union with humans in the end of all things.
This is Christianity. It is more than knowing justice and equity and doing what appears to be right. It is more than cleaning up just the part of the mess you made in the kitchen, but everyone's mess. It is more than giving a man simply what he deserves. it is more than making good healthy decisions for your self and what appears to be good healthy decisions for those around you. it is a complete emptying or surrendering of your self -- but not to some void or impersonal force, but to the one person/God who loves you individually and all humans collectively, and would have all to know the truth and redemption -- Jesus the Messiah. It is a denying of yourself and your own wants and submitting them to more than some void or just particular people. But denying yourself, and recognizing your Maker who can strengthen you and make all things possible. It is allowing the One to come in, even God's Holy Spirit, to do that which you in your own ways and righteousness could never do. Don't stop at your own (pre)conceived righteousness or the righteousness of society or mass culture at large; that will only go so far. But humble and deny yourself and accept Jesus. Then will you love the fullest, then will you give the most -- even more than one deserves, then will you share the purest truth. For it won't be you that lives anymore, but Christ that lives in you. So shall the King of Glory be glorified, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Amen. Please consider in Christ's own words, in the Bible, Matthew chapers 5,6,7 and 25.
If your heart has been affected or you have questions or comments; please email brother Dan.
Spiritual Writings | Issues in the Church | Nonresistance | Life in Christ