Friday, 26 April, 2002

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Text: Matthew 5:8



They will see God...everywhere. And so will the world that is all around them! To "keep in mind" the will of God - to love God and love neighbor - is to keep the will of God forthcoming from our hearts. For Matthew, heart is the source of outward speech, it is the source of our behavior, it is the source of our inner reflection. In other words, to have our heart "stuck on Jesus" is to have our lives all sticky with Jesus' life. Purity of heart is the notion that absent from our lives is the corruption that simply takes over the world. A pure heart still finds the Word of God to be a fresh spring from which our lives can spring anew each day. The word that most spells out the focus of this beatitude is "integrity." On behalf of others...in the name of the God of Grace...with forgiveness as our rule...with the vision of God's Reign in which Jesus is the merciful judge of all - we live our lives with a Good News integrity.



Connection: How will you keep your heart from growing dull to God's Word today? Remember, we put shape to God's word of love by sharpening our vision of that love as it comes into our lives. When race, sex, teams, finances, status are used to divide God's beloved family - in all the little ways from jokes to comment to outright attacks - what is the way we face those situations and do not take part in such corruption of God's vision of peace. Speaking up for the outsider and speaking against sterotypes and rumors is one such daily way to act with Good News integrity.



O God who paints the reality of you blessed Reign on our hearts, let that picture of life shine through to our eyes, our ears, our speech, our touch and our living together. Keep us open to the revelation of your gentle rule that opens our heart to new avenues of life. Amen