Sunday Musings - December 24, 2023
On this Christmas Eve whether one’s spiritual center is in the Christian tradition or some other, it seems especially appropriate we consider the seventh beatitude as stated in the writings of Matthew in what Christian’s term The New Testament - a sacred text such as are other texts for other religions.
The seventh beatitude is “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Most of us have felt anger, had a judgmental or even violent thought. I also suspect most of us have read a novel or watched a drama on the stage or screen and cheered when “the good”: character overpowered or even slayed the “evil or bad” character. I further suspect it feels “natural” to wish ill on the person who seemingly enjoys benefiting at the expense of others or hurting their neighbor in other ways. Many of us have enjoyed watching a sporting event when “our team” slayed, beat, pounded, destroyed, or humiliated the “other team”.
Surely that Jesus fellow understood these feelings. If stories are to be believed he occasionally lost it as he did with the money changers in the temple. One can also imagine him saying “I have had with these humans.” before going to be alone in the desert.
Yet this is the same teacher who says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of god.” It is the same teacher who admonished us to “Love your neighbor as yours as you love yourself. Love your enemy. Let the person without sin throw the first stone.”
This may be the most challenging of the beatitudes. We are being asked to see beneath the adult facade to see the young child trying to prove his or her worth; that young child masquerading as an adult; that innocent, lonely, fearful child with the mantle of leadership; that apparent adult using his or her privilege to oppress others. We are expected to attempt to emulate or mirror the actions of a God/a Heavenly Father or mother who always sees beneath the behavior - beneath self-centered, even cruel behavior; behavior which may arise out of an addiction to power, drugs, food, things, or the corner office; behavior which threatens to destroy the memory of the image of child in the mind’s eye; the image of that innocent, sweet baby wrapped in swathing cloth eager to suck on the nipple of their mother.
The peacemaker is this person; the person who sees beneath those defenses; beneath the shiny or rusted armor; the person who hears beneath anger; the person who feels the possibility of love even as artillery shells are being launched toward one; the person who truly believes that no human has yet to devise a scientific accurate system for comparing “sin points”.
This is the good news which baby Jesus will bring:
The peacemaker will borrow the talents of a musician. In music when one wants to play or sing in a key other than what is on the written page, he or she learns to transpose the notes in the mind’s eye page.
Let us celebrate this and all teachers who leaves the gift of this teaching under every holiday tree this Christmas.
Written December 24, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
On this Christmas Eve whether one’s spiritual center is in the Christian tradition or some other, it seems especially appropriate we consider the seventh beatitude as stated in the writings of Matthew in what Christian’s term The New Testament - a sacred text such as are other texts for other religions.
The seventh beatitude is “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Most of us have felt anger, had a judgmental or even violent thought. I also suspect most of us have read a novel or watched a drama on the stage or screen and cheered when “the good”: character overpowered or even slayed the “evil or bad” character. I further suspect it feels “natural” to wish ill on the person who seemingly enjoys benefiting at the expense of others or hurting their neighbor in other ways. Many of us have enjoyed watching a sporting event when “our team” slayed, beat, pounded, destroyed, or humiliated the “other team”.
Surely that Jesus fellow understood these feelings. If stories are to be believed he occasionally lost it as he did with the money changers in the temple. One can also imagine him saying “I have had with these humans.” before going to be alone in the desert.
Yet this is the same teacher who says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of god.” It is the same teacher who admonished us to “Love your neighbor as yours as you love yourself. Love your enemy. Let the person without sin throw the first stone.”
This may be the most challenging of the beatitudes. We are being asked to see beneath the adult facade to see the young child trying to prove his or her worth; that young child masquerading as an adult; that innocent, lonely, fearful child with the mantle of leadership; that apparent adult using his or her privilege to oppress others. We are expected to attempt to emulate or mirror the actions of a God/a Heavenly Father or mother who always sees beneath the behavior - beneath self-centered, even cruel behavior; behavior which may arise out of an addiction to power, drugs, food, things, or the corner office; behavior which threatens to destroy the memory of the image of child in the mind’s eye; the image of that innocent, sweet baby wrapped in swathing cloth eager to suck on the nipple of their mother.
The peacemaker is this person; the person who sees beneath those defenses; beneath the shiny or rusted armor; the person who hears beneath anger; the person who feels the possibility of love even as artillery shells are being launched toward one; the person who truly believes that no human has yet to devise a scientific accurate system for comparing “sin points”.
This is the good news which baby Jesus will bring:
- The peacemaker will love the leaders of Hamas while reminding them love works better than violence.
- The peacemaker will see the heart of the child which is hidden in the bodies of the leaders of Israel.
- The peacemaker will pray for the child which resides in body of Putin.
- The peacemaker will see beneath the actions of the child man/woman who committed mass murder in a school or any other place.
- The peacemaker will work to provide safe treatment and not jail for the mentally ill.
- The peacemaker will see the pain of the immigrants attempting to cross the Southern border while working with others to create a humane, realistic, loving immigration policy.
The peacemaker will borrow the talents of a musician. In music when one wants to play or sing in a key other than what is on the written page, he or she learns to transpose the notes in the mind’s eye page.
- Blessed are the transposers.
- Blessed are the peacemakers for they are God’s eyes and ears.
- Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
Let us celebrate this and all teachers who leaves the gift of this teaching under every holiday tree this Christmas.
Written December 24, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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