Blessed are...

Each one of us has had those "ah-hah" moments in life... you know, those times when you understand something for the first time or you gain a whole new perspective on an idea or you suddenly see a solution you never saw before. For some unexplainable reason, one of those times in my life leapt from the recesses of memory into my consciousness this afternoon.

In August of 1977 I spent the week as a counselor/teacher at a Bible camp at Camp Tanda in Big Bear, California. I had good memories of that camp as a kid... maybe the first time I held hands with Virginia was sitting on a log around the camp fire. Well, several years later at age 27 I was helping. Rich Dawson was the director, and there were kids and adults from several churches in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Each evening we listened to a young guy talk about the Beatitudes from Matthew 5, the beginning of Jesus' sermon on the mount. I don't remember his name, just that he was a grad student from USC... and that the things he said totally helped me re-orient the way I viewed being and living as a Christian. I remember taking notes... lots of notes... notes I later used to teach and re-teach those same lessons to others in other venues. I'm pretty sure I still have those worn pieces of paper.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

For the first time I saw the Beatitudes in a different way... a description of a process... a journey... a beginning of a relationship with God that grows and changes and brings us ever closer to Him. It was one of those "ah-hahh" moments for me... one that truly has impacted me for almost 30 years.

A quick summary seems in order; focusing on the growth characteristics rather than the promises, here it is:

In order to come into a relationship with God, the very first step is simply to recognize that we are spiritually bankrupt...
That realization leads us to mourn our sin as well as all the sin and pain in the world...
Seeing our own weaknesses and inability to save ourselves leads us to surrender to the One who is strong and able, emptying ourselves...
This emptying leads us to truly hunger and thirst for a growing relationship with Him, one that fulfills and satisfies...
Thus, He is able to begin filling us up... with mercy that is like His... with hearts that are transparent (pure) and increasingly reflect His glory... with a desire to share His peace with all others...
And when the persecution comes, we will have strength and confidence to make this journey every day in many ways.

Just writing this once again brings me to the point where the main thing I recognize is my need for God. Blessed are...