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The International Leadership Council of Servants met last week in Cambodia, for our annual leadership meetings.  A highlight was the teaching of one of our elders, Dave Andrews, on the Be-Attitudes.  Here are some of his thoughts....

The strength of the Golden Rule is that everybody agrees that it is great place to start. Its weakness is that though its nice and warm and fuzzy people find it a bit vague as guideline.

Which is why Jesus of Nazareth spent so much time unpacking the specific implications of the Golden Rule in his Sermon on the Mount – summarising his suggestions in his Beatitudes.

But the trouble is, few people who would claim to be admirers of Jesus – even among those who would call themselves "believers" – take the Be-Attitudes seriously as ethical guidelines.

There are two or three reasons for this. The first reason is that the Beatitudes are not generally taught as ethical guidelines. They are seen as spiritual promises, not operating principles.

The second reason is that the Sermon on the Mount, which the Beatitudes serve as an introduction, hasn't been taught as framework for ethics ever since the church chose to align itself with the state (under the Emperor Constantine). At that point it became necessary to set aside the operating principles of the Sermon, (like 'turning the other cheek') in order to support the imperial demand to do otherwise. The third reason is that when people, from time to time, have tried to reclaim the Sermon on the Mount as a framework for ethics, they have totally misrepresented the content, turning it into a set of idealistic, but totally unrealistic guidelines (like 'no anger'). And none of our examples of perfection in the bible practiced 'no anger' as a principle. Jesus often got angry – and rightly so.

If we are to take the Beatitudes seriously as a set of ethical guidelines, then we need to re-acquaint ourselves with the Be-Attitudes and re-discover the workable virtues they embody. For an exciting detailed exploration of the workable virtues embodied in the Beatitudes you can study my series of meditations on "The Be-Attitudes For Today's World"

We can see the workable virtues advocated in the values that are blessed in the Be-Attitudes

1. Blessed are the poor – or poor in spirit – who do not trust in status or riches

2. Blessed are those who mourn – who grieve over the injustice in the world

3. Blessed are the meek – who get angry but who never get aggressive

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – who seek justice

5. Blessed are the merciful – who are compassionate to everyone in need

6. Blessed are the pure in heart – who are whole-hearted in desire to do right

7. Blessed are the peacemakers – who work for peace in a world at war

8. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness – who suffer for just causes

These Beatitudes indicate the Be-Attitudes Jesus advocates:

1. Humility- Focusing on the poor (not status or riches)

2. Empathy – Grieving over the injustice in the world

3. Self-restraint – Getting angry but not getting aggressive

4. Righteousness – Seeking for justice (not vengeance)

5. Mercy – Extending compassion to all in need

6. Integrity – Being whole-hearted in a desire to do right

7. Non-violence – Working for peace in a world at war

8. Perseverance – Suffering for just causes (patiently)

These Be-Attitudes suggest a clear set of ethical commitments that Jesus would advocate we make if we are to engage a world of poverty and violence constructively:

Be The Change You Want To See'

1. identify with the poor 'in spirit'.

2. grieve over injustice in the world.

3. get angry, but never get aggressive.

4. seek to do justice, even to my enemies.

5. extend compassion to all those in need.

6. act with integrity, not for the publicity.

7. work for peace in the midst of violence.

8. suffer yourself, rather than inflict suffering.

Mahatma Gandhi once famously said: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." If we commit to practice the Be-Attitudes, we can be the change we want to see in the world.

[Read more at www.wecan.be]