In preparation for attending the play "Jesus Christ Superstar" with a friend of ours who is not too fond of Christianity as he conceives of it, I emailed him this short introduction into the Christian ideal.
Matthew 5:1-10
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the rich, for theirs is the kingdom they have created.
Blessed are those who are impervious to sorrow and trouble themselves not with the pain of others, for they comfort themselves.
Blessed are the powerful, for they have received their inheritance.
Blessed are those who are self-righteous, they have already filled themselves.
Blessed are those who are unwavering and unbending in their pursuit of justice as to not let a single error go unpunished, the favor will be returned to them.
Blessed are the self-unaware, for they do not have to worry about God.
Blessed are the lovers of war, for they will be called sons of men.
Blessed are those who persecute others in the name of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of this world.
Blessed are you when you insult people, persecute them, and falsely say all kinds of evil against them because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward."
interesting perspective ;) a bit like the Screwtape Letters
ReplyDeleteGood one!
ReplyDeleteLot of theirs / them / they / themselves words. I would feel a bit lonely in this model, but it's safe on the other hand - closed circuit grants you a full control.
I had never really paid much attention to the Beatitudes until I thought about the contrast it was making to an alternative story, an alternative way.
ReplyDelete