KES Chapel Reflection, Week of 2 November
Blessed are the merciful
Chapel constantly focuses on the primacy of the ethical; in short, on the principles that inform and shape character and institutions about the concepts of good and evil, of right and wrong. It has been quite wonderful to go from the story of Cain and Abel to the Ten Commandments which make explicit the ethical principles violated by Cain, for instance. This week’s wonder is the Beatitudes, a most remarkable set of ethical teachings that continue to capture the imaginations of many, whether Christian or not. They speak to the truth and dignity of our humanity as a community of spirit.
Nothing could be more counter-culture. Like the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes speak to ethical ideas that are universal and which have their counterpart in other religions and philosophies. I have been trying to point out that these ethical teachings, such as the Ten Commandments and the idea of Dharma in the Hindu tradition, for example, all point to the ways in which we transcend the animosities and divisions, the blood and the hatred, that is so much a part of the sad tale of our inhumanity towards one another. These stories are all powerful reminders of what belongs to the truth and dignity of our humanity even in the face of the realities of sin and evil, of suffering and death, of massacres and atrocities upon atrocities. They offer hope and life.
The Beatitudes are set before us in the context of the Communion of Saints. That is the true meaning of Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve is the Eve of All Hallows or All Saints. We are part of a larger spiritual community, more than anyone can number, based not on self-assertion, self-obsession or self-righteousness but on service and sacrifice. It is about our life together in an ordered community of love in which we seek the good of one another.
The Beatitudes are the charter of divine love. They counter the culture of dominion and power by highlighting the qualities of grace which are given to live in us. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” These are the first and the eight Beatitudes. They embrace the other Beatitudes and articulate a powerful teaching about the ultimate good and joy for our humanity. We are called to something more than what belongs to the disorders in our hearts and world.