Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week in church - they are my best workers.
Blessed are those who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked - I can use them.
Blessed are the touchy, with a bit of luck they may stop going to church - they are my missionaries.
Blessed are the troublemakers - they shall be called my children.
Blessed are those who have no time to pray - they are easy prey for me (geddit?).
Blessed are the gossipers - for they are my secret agents.
Blessed are those critical of church leadership - they are following my example.
Blessed are the complainers - I'm all ears for them.
Blessed are you when you read this and think it is about other people - I've got you!
Do you really think that those 'who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week in church' are the devil's 'best workers'? That they do more to strengthen hell's grip on the planet than, say, the arms trade does?
ReplyDeleteYes, those 'who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week in church' are the devil's best workers. Because we set an example with our lives every day. People don't see an arms race or trade every day. It is what we see concretely that registers with us. The rest will come if folks see a good example daily from Christians more than just hearing about them.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read it, I took it to mean that people who are too busy "doing" are giving their lives over to another god. The danger with living like this is that we don't see overwork as an evil, and we actually get to the point where we are proud of "never having a minute " or always being on call.
ReplyDeleteAs for the arms dealers:- well, you can lose yourself to sin in many ways. And sin is sin.
So there's no way that someone who showed up in church once a week could be a better worker on hell's behalf than someone who didn't?
ReplyDeleteI feel uncomfortable about the beatitude dealing with criticism of Church Leadership. I have critical faculties, I don't feel I should be obliged to switch them off when it comes to the hierarchy of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Church is 2000 years old and can withstand criticism.
ReplyDeleteGod gave me eyes and ears, a brain and a conscience. Only cults resort to guilt tripping people for criticising their leadership. Our Church isn't just the leadership and obedience and criticism are not mutually exclusive concepts.
The Holy Father came to Britain and humbled his critics with a dignified eloquence, with tender humility. I don't remember him admonishing his critics, he probably didn't feel the need.