It’s All about the Heart

Many, if not most, of the Christian teachings I’ve heard during my lifetime have focused on what we should do and what we should not do and not much on what we should be. In fact, in my youth, all the emphasis seemed to be on the “don’ts.” I’ve given a lot of thought lately to Jesus’ example and what it teaches us about the things that really count. And where better to look for Jesus’ attitudes than the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7?

Eight simple statements, which have come to be known as the Beatitudes, tell us the character traits which are truly valued but which often seem to be absent in those who are “most vocal” about their Christian faith.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

“Blessed are the meek.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

“Blessed are the merciful.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

These eight simple statements say far more about what we should be than about what we should do or not do.

What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? I think it’s the opposite of pride and arrogance. It’s humility that values all lives as equal with one’s own. One who is “poor in spirit,” i.e., humble, is not racist, does not see oneself as superior to people who are different. It means truly believing down deep that “all lives matter” and not saying those words just to change the subject or avoid looking at one’s own racist, supremacist attitudes. And not just racism. Valuing any majority group—heterosexuals, cisgender people, mentally typical people, physically typical people—above their minority opposites is arrogance of spirit and not evidence of a Christian attitude. Yet who seems to yell the loudest about God’s will when any of these subjects come up for discussion? I don’t have to tell you the answer to that.

What is it about “those who mourn” that earns them special commendation? Perhaps this speaks of having compassionate hearts, grieving over injustice and tragedy and weeping for those who suffer instead of blaming and shaming them. Instead of posting vile, judgmental memes on social media, expressing sympathy and understanding. Instead of characterizing all poor and homeless people as lazy, worthless ne’er-do-wells, listening to their stories and giving “a cup of cold water” in the name of the one you claim to worship. Instead of adding to the stress and grief of parents whose children have been dangerously close to a gorilla or been killed by an alligator, showing a little human compassion for people doing the hardest job in the world and sometimes being overstressed and sometimes making bad judgments. We’ve all been there! And maybe it means defending the rape victim and mourning her distress instead of declaring that “she asked for it.” It means grieving equally for murdered police officers and for the victims of police brutality and racism. It means understanding the plight of the persecuted Palestinians and seeing both sides of a tragically long, unresolved conflict. We’re all human. Why can’t we feel each other’s pain and give other human beings the same love, understanding, and support that we want for ourselves when we’re hurting?

“The meek” I have seen defined as those who overcome evil with good. Recently, I read an article from The Charlotte Observer about a couple who entered a Pennsylvania restaurant and declined to be seated beside a table of four police officers. They didn’t bother being subtle about it, so the officers knew exactly why the couple was escorted to a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. But instead of anger and sarcasm, the officers decided to respond with kindness. They paid the couple’s bill of $28.50, plus a $10 tip (well above the standard 20%) and added this note: “Sir, your check was paid for by the police officers that you didn’t want to sit next to. Thank you for your support.”

The spokesperson for the group, Officer Thomas, made this statement: “Essentially the whole goal of it was to let him know that we’re not here to hurt you, we’re not here for that. We’re here for you. We work for the public. And we just want to better the relationship between the community and the police.” Individuals make a difference! As Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only love can do that.”

How does one “hunger and thirst for righteousness”? I think this refers to people who seek truth and never allow themselves to become complacent in the feeling that they know all there is to know. When you’re hungry, you don’t meditate on the last meal you ate and expect that to fill you up. You want real food right now. No matter how much you’ve studied and searched and thought you had things all figured out, no matter how different the world is today than it was when you were young, when new questions arise, you need new answers. The answers may be based on old principles, but they have to fit the current question. This is my new mantra for lots of social issues: “It is what it is.” I know that’s not original, and it’s not even very clever; but it means certain things exist, and they don’t need my approval. There’s what we think and there’s how we act. My job is not to judge the rightness or wrongness of other people’s way of life but to love my neighbor as myself. Are transgender people my neighbors? Yes. End of discussion. Footnote: These people still have to pee, so for God’s sake, don’t make it so difficult!

Also blessed are “the merciful.” Everyone wants mercy. No one wants judgment and condemnation. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” Human nature seems to seek justice for other people’s wrongs but to desire mercy for our own wrongs. When we insist on strict justice, we often overlook opportunities to reclaim a life. We say “all lives matter,” but we don’t act like we believe that when we apply rigid rules untempered by mercy. According to Gordon B. Hinckley (author of Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes), “The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either — or both — when needed?” Indeed, let’s try to imagine a world in which politicians, leaders, and common people would sincerely apologize for their wrongdoing instead of denying and trying to cover it up or rationalize it. And then imagine a world in which all who hear that sincere apology would forgive and seek reconciliation and cooperation. I’d like to live in that world.

Blessed are “the pure in heart.” We can’t all be Mother Teresas or Mahatma Gandhis, but we can at least try to emulate their attitudes toward our fellow human beings. We can stop glorifying prosperity theology and “what’s in it for me?” theology. We can stop hating and judging. We can care more about loving and forgiving than about being “right.” We can take time to look beyond our preconceived beliefs and open our minds to new information and how old information applies to a new world. We can stop thinking of ourselves as superior to everyone who sees the world differently than we do. We can listen more and talk less. We can stop being arrogant jerks.

Blessed are “the peacemakers.” In my article “Guns vs Guts: Eight Images,” I mentioned several of my peacemaking heroes: those who have chosen to fight injustice without resorting to violence. Ieshia L. Evans (the woman in this summer’s iconic photo from Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi all faced the forces of evil and injustice without firing a shot. Most of the gun advocates I know today identify themselves as Christians; they seem to think God himself wrote the second amendment, and they’re not even willing to have a reasonable conversation about it. The people from the Westboro Baptist organization (I refuse to call it a church) show up to spread their hate and vitriol at funerals where people’s hearts need healing, not further persecution. How much more could be accomplished by making peace instead of war?

And finally, “those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” are recognized. Those willing to bear injustice without seeking revenge have a special spot on this list; there’s even a follow-up verse that further elaborates on what constitutes persecution: “when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” I’m just guessing here, but I think this might include whining on social media about how you’re being picked on. Of course it hurts to be slandered and ridiculed, but really, if that’s the worst that ever happens to any of us, we have nothing to whine about. Christians are having their heads chopped off by ISIS, and we’re whining because someone who doesn’t share our beliefs has said something mean.

Also, evangelicals like to complain that no one listens to them, but I’d say everybody is listening to them. Politicians jump through hoops to win their votes. James Dobson even publicly claimed recently that Donald Trump had been “saved” just because he knows that’s appealing to a large bloc of voters. I’d say that’s a lot of power. You’re being heard, so now start saying something worth listening to.

You may have noticed by now that I’m just a little annoyed by much of what’s going on these days under the guise of Christianity. I’d love to see more being and less doing. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). More of this and less shouting about what God hates or how our country is on a roller coaster ride to hell. Please. For the love of God.