From December 1-25, I’ll be sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s “Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.
An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.
If you are interested, you can see the introduction to this new blog category here:
Today: Another part of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:3-12) commonly referred to as “The Beatitudes”
Author John Fugelsang writes: “And get a load of these BEATITUDES.
Jesus opens the Sermon with a series of blessings that represent his foundational teachings and core values. Each line begins with the word ‘blessed,’ which can also be translated as ‘happy,’ ‘fortunate,’ or even ‘lucky.’
Jesus pronounces his blessings upon specific groups of people. He focuses on the poor and marginalized; he praises nonviolence and peace-making, radical love, mercy, and inclusion; and he pretty much takes down the status quo.” Separation of Church and Hate p. 25
1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
6. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
8. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fugelsang jokes: “Imagine the hecklers: ‘Meh, I didn’t trudge all the way up Mount of Beatitudes just to hear some virtue signaling from Woke Jesus.’” p. 25
“The Beatitudes are Jesus’s own guide for ethical conduct in Christian life.” p. 25
May we all be Harmonious and “Beatitude-ish Peacemakers” this Holiday Season — and beyond.
A few of my Photos of Peace:
NealEnJoy 