Given at First Congregational Church of San Francisco
Sunday, September 16, 2001
Rev. Wilfried Glabach
minister@sanfranciscoucc.org
 

September 11th changed our lives. This has been a day of terror and numbness, of confrontation and vulnerability. Words can not describe the tragedy that has occurred in New York City, Washington DC, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. Our hearts are open to all those who have been personally affected by this great tragedy. 

In this time of great grief, sorrow, uncertainty and confusion around the world, we gather our hearts and minds in prayer, asking for God's mercy, strength and comfort.  We pray for those whose loved ones have died, for those who struggle with pain and injury, for those who risk their lives to rescue others. We pray for the leaders of the United States, and their colleagues around the world, that they may turn away from violence and vengeance, seeking the way that leads to reconciliation, justice, and hope.  Before I continue I ask you sisters and brothers in Christ to share with us your feelings and emotions, how have been the last days for you …

Today I would like to remind you to the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are as important, in many ways more important, for the way we live as the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mountain with a description of the new society with a beatific attitude. It is a description of a moral and civil order, it is a vision of a world of grace and love and peace.

Jesus calls those "blessed" who are poor in spirit. He means the humble, and lowly-minded, and self-abased. He means those who are deeply convinced of their own sinfulness in God's sight.  Humility is what Jesus is asking for. We must begin low, if we would build high. The wisdom of this world will not invent the kingdom of God nor bring it about.

Jesus calls these "blessed" who mourn. Mourning means those who are repentant, who are sorry for their sins . It means an attitude of not accepting the "ways of the world, of being prepared to change what is not right. Trying to overcome violence with violence is not mourning either.  We seem not to have really learned that justice can never be achieved by using violence. The truly strong do not often have to use force, let alone violence. 

Jesus calls these "blessed" who are meek. The meek are those who are of a patient and contented spirit. They are willing to put up with little honor here below, they can bear injuries without resentment: they are not ready to take offence. They are never losers in the long run. One day they shall "reign on the earth."

Jesus calls those "blessed" who hunger and thirst after righteousness. The attitude of the blessed is that "hungering and thirsting for what is right" is not only seeking what is right for me. If we truly are a human community, then when other suffer injustice, we suffer injustice. We are "to love our neighbor as ourselves." This is hard advice; when we see one piece of injustice solved, we start hungering and thirsting for justice all the more because all around us we see other examples of injustice. Yes of course, there is no end to that - and so that "hunger of justice" is easily quenched; but when it is, we are in mortal danger of losing our "blessedness."

Jesus calls those "blessed" who are merciful. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we say: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against. Us. In other words, we ask God to forgive us, and the in turn promise to pass on that forgiveness to others. If we don't mean it, we shouldn't say the words. It is that simple. Which doesn't mean being merciful is simple. It is a blessedness.

Jesus calls those "blessed" who are pure in heart. Purity of heart is as difficult as purity of mind. But purity of actions is not enough. We all have temptations, but is the way we handle those temptations that matters. It is not sinful to feel angry if someone steps on your toes. What matters is what you do with your anger; if  you step on the person's toes to get even, that is not very merciful. 

We are pure in heart when we stand up for your beliefs even when this puts us under pressure.  We are pure in heart when we live our lives in such way that our faith has an effect on the way we act .. and feel about others. This has also something to do with politics. We are pure in heart when we uphold our values in the world.

Jesus calls those "blessed" who are peacemakers. We all want peace. And peace (shalom) is as much attitude and state of well-being as it is the absence of conflict or war. Peacemakers will use their influence to promote peace and charity on earth, in private and public, at home and abroad. They bring the radiance of co-operation and consensus into a world of competition and aggression. And they do so by example, not just a wish for peace.

Jesus calls those "blessed" who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Why is there persecution? Because there is a clash between two different ways of looking at the world. Jesus expects us to have his attitude towards life and the world. Not everybody does have those attitudes towards the world and life. Therefore it will be a clash of opinions.  Jesus is not saying that you are blessed because your opinions are not popular. He is saying that if your opinions and attitudes are not popular because you are following his way, that is to be expected. And you can be strong enough to live with that. 

Such are the eight foundation-stones which Jesus lays down at the beginning of the sermon of the mount. Eight great testing truths are placed before us.

God has called us to look behind with appropriate grief, and forward with  appropriate mourning for the "other" world in which we live. We will do our part in redeeming it.

Let me end this sermon with a prayer from Leslie Hoffman, 20 year -old-student from Collegeville, Pennsylvania:

Give us courage, O Lord, to stand up and be counted,
To stand up for  those who cannot stand up for themselves.
To stand up for ourselves when it is needful for us to do so.
Let us fear nothing more than we fear you.
Let us love nothing more than we love you,
For thus we shall fear nothing also.
Let us have no other God before you, 
Whether nation or part or sate or church.
Let us seek no other peace but the peace which is yours,
And make us its instruments,
Opening our eyes and our ears.
So that we should know always what work of peace we may do for you.

AMEN