Righteousness, Justice and the Darkness of Our Times

Righteousness, Justice and the Darkness of Our Times

Generations of sincere people have abused and misused the fourth beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount. It is time to rescue this saying – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” – from perfectionist moralities and allow it...
Choosing the Right Path

Choosing the Right Path

Why are Jesus’ beatitudes — widely considered the essence of his teachings — so absent from what is often called Christianity today? The values, priorities and character traits Jesus calls for in what’s known as the Sermon on the Mount don’t align well with much of...

When Will U.S. Christianity Heed Its Wakeup Call?

There are many professing believers who claim Jesus as Lord, but few who want to follow his counterintuitive teachings on living spiritually in the world. The directives Jesus gives his followers are no more specific than in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Yet,...

Why We Think We Know Whom God Blesses

The Beatitudes are not prescriptions on how to be blessed. “I need to be poor in spirit (or just plain poor) so I can be blessed” misses the point and leads to some interesting interpretations of how to live the spiritual life. It can sometimes lead us...