Scripture: Matthew 5:3-12 (The Beatitudes)
[Jesus said] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven [meant to mean God’s new world order, not a place in the clouds], for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Thought for the Day: In these versus Matthew describes a vision of happiness completely divested of the material world. In fact, like so many of the stories and activities associated with Jesus, these instructions seem to be in direct opposition to what most people would think brings happiness. Being poor, humble, and thirsting for justice bring happiness—not wealth and power. Making peace instead of war brings happiness. Enduring persecution and suffering brings happiness. All these things bring happiness because they require us to step outside ourselves ourselves and our world, and exist instead in the blissful presence of God.

Unfortunately, our world is designed to make us miserable by keeping us disconnected from God. From the moment we’re born we’re taught to claw our way to the top at the expense of everyone else. Greed is good. Ayn Rand and her solipsistic ideology has captured and enslaved the American consciousness. When our politicians, who are elected to serve the people, begin quoting her ideology of selfishness, our country is in big, big trouble. When the six Walmart heirs have more money that an entire urban population while the millions of their workers, both in the U.S. and China, exist on government subsidies for food, shelter and clothing, the world is in trouble.

Happiness seems always just out of reach. Yet, happiness—true happiness, is always as close as our next breath. Happiness comes when we divest ourselves of the global rules of selfism and start living the unselfish life idealized in Jesus Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Moses, and people like Dag Hammarskjöld. It is our choice to make: live a happy, God-infused life, or keep clawing for the leftovers dropping from the banquet tables of the global fat cats. As for me, I’m done with that game. I choose God. I choose happiness.

Prayer: I can’t even begin to describe how happy you make me, God of all time and space. When I feel You coursing through my veins I know what it means to be complete, to be loved, to be happy. Amen.