Sometimes I hear from people who don’t identify themselves as religious who express the cynical criticism that religion motivates people with the promise of future rewards while ignoring their current situation, leaving people to passive acceptance of their unfortunate circumstances and encouraging them to surrender to the status quo. The promise of heaven, in their minds, becomes an illusory reward for delaying gratification, for making sacrifices, or doing hard things.
I have an old friend, for instance, who thinks that I chose a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience because I have this crazy idea that God will make it all worthwhile after death. He, instead, chases the “good life” now by amassing wealth, and exercising freedom to simply do what he wants… in the spirit of Carpe Diem. We’re still friends because I know that at heart, he’s a good person, and in fact, we have a lot of fun together when we reconnect. And I think he still wants to spend time with me after 40 years of friendship because he can perceive my happiness and satisfaction, living this strange life of the vows. He senses that I find myself “blessed in the present tense,” even though my religious life still mystifies him.
Why do I share this anecdote? When we hear Jesus’ basic instruction on the good life which we often refer to as “the Beatitudes,” we can over focus on his future promises of the Kingdom of God, comfort, inheritance, etc. But we might miss how Jesus also says, “Blessed are…” again and again. Yes, he does offer glimpses of what good things will come to those who live these beatitudes, and yet, he also affirms that each person who is humble, who grieves for loved ones and for the suffering in the world, who strives for justice and mercy… each of these is already blessed. How is that so?
A person who is humble has their feet on the ground, and stands in reality in a way that is unburdened of ego, self centeredness, greed and excessive striving. Likewise, a humble person is also free from excessive self doubt, low self esteem, or fear of what others think. Humble people know their strengths and weaknesses, and have no need to prove themselves, compete for attention, or impose their will on others. Leaders who are humble treat others as equals or as better than themselves, and understand that the idea of oneself being essentially superior or inferior to others is a fantasy. I wish I was speaking from personal experience here; I struggle to be more humble. But I know many humble people and try to learn from them. I sense their blessedness, their freedom from themselves and from the obstacles and suffering that excessive ego gets us into, whether it inflates or deflates our self perception.
Likewise, a person who grieves is a person who is sensitive to others, who feels deeply for others and for the world, a person who cares and thus, treats others with mercy, tenderness, and reverence. Yes, grief can turn us in on ourselves, and it is a risk to feel such painful empathy and care for others, but if we guard our hearts too closely and don’t risk loving and losing, what kind of life is that? As many poets have said, tears express a deep connectedness that waters our relationships with affection, quenches the dryness of our lives, and hydrates our eyes to see beauty of the world with wonder and gratitude.
I could go on with each of these instructions of Jesus about the truly good life, how each of them is a blessing in itself, in the present tense. But briefly, I want to turn to the importance of these beatitudes for leaders serving others with their authority and their role of responsibility. We must acknowledge that at this moment in our history, and perhaps it has always been so, the leaders we see in the public eye do not seem to embody these particular qualities of humility, sensitivity to the suffering of others, or dedication to the disinterested pursuit of social justice. For the most part, the authority figures who make the news do not make the news because of their dedication to the truly good life, but for other reasons. The rare and uncommon exceptions to this trend, the good leaders who are dedicated to being with and for others in their service without excessive self-interest or entitlement– we need to shine a spotlight on them even if they themselves don’t seek it.
We need to see more of them to know that yes, it is possible to lead with love, to listen before speaking, to feel with our hearts as much as think and strategize with our heads. It is possible to lead as a disciple of Jesus without being caught up in being right, or calling attention to our acts of generosity, or imposing our will or beliefs on people. It is possible to lead with integrity and with ethical principles, a commitment to dialogue and collaboration, and even to making essential compromises for mutual benefit. This is what it is to live “the good life,” to be blessed in the present tense, and to serve as builders of the future.
As we meditate on these beatitudes, these instructions for the good life, which one of these blessings is already ours, by the grace of God? And which blessings do we desire? How might this desire draw us into a closer relationship with the one who models and encourages us to keep learning, keep discovering who God is calling us to be for the world?
With you on the road,
