This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
— KJV, Matt 5:4
Feeling without works is dead…
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Who are they, what are they mourning, and how shall they be comforted?
There are a number of indications that the cause for this mourning is not temporal or material, but spiritual.
Firstly, no mention is made of a specific event that would occasion mourning.
Secondly, mourning over the loss of purely material possessions is unlikely to be a subject of interest to The Word.
Neither are the Beatitudes addressed only to a select group of people, as some have argued. The fact that Christ is reported to have been addressing His disciples on this occasion does not mean that His Message was meant only for them.
So, we can interpret this as a reference to a state of spiritual mourning that is universally applicable. What might this be?
It is most likely the recognition of our failure here on Earth due to our materialistic nature; our spiritual weaknesses. The acceptance of personal responsibility in having contributed to this state of affairs because of our self-imposed spiritual poverty (ref. “Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit“).
In the acceptance of personal responsibility is also recognition of the fact that when we endure suffering, it is an outcome of the type of world that we ourselves brought into being. We must reap what we sowed.
But one who is truly mournful will take action to change the situation if given the chance. If someone grieving the loss of a highly-prized possession were given a magic wand with which he could recover his treasure, he would use it without hesitation.
One who is truly mournful in the sense of The Word will energetically seek to change his nature and his surroundings using the “magic wand” of The Word (ref. “Faith Is A Halfway House“).
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Such a person will seek to renew himself through The Word, and in this process he will pay close attention to everything he sows (his thoughts, words, and actions) and to having a positive impact on the world around him.
Constantly evidencing such faith-filled actions will result in experiences that provide spiritual knowledge (ref. “Faith Is A Halfway House“).
In spiritual knowledge is the recognition of the Love of God expressed in His Divine Laws (ref “Will vs Love: A Divine Quantum Entanglement“). This recognition brings great peace.
In other words: In the experiential recognition of The Word lies comfort.
On this journey we will not forget the fact of our great failure. It continues to spur us onward to ever greater efforts to create a world free of mourning and suffering.
The state of mourning, the awareness of past failures, is ever-present as indicated by the statement, and yet does not conflict with the ever-present comfort to be found in The Word if we act on this state of mourning.
That The Word is only understood through taking action in the sense of The Word, through loving activity (thoughts, words, actions) was discussed at length in “Act To Experience To Know” and in “Truth vs Human Words“.
The mourning that remains immobile, that does not give rise to any real activity, is false. It is not from spiritual recognition. It is grief without action and will not lead to the promised spiritual comfort.
Sometimes it is also self-deceit: we want to feel that our “recognition” of the sorry state of the world indicates that we are better than the average person. This is just a mechanism to feel good about ourselves, and is of no spiritual benefit.
We must take energetic, faith-filled actions that demonstrate a state of true repentance (“mourning”) in order to gain the experiences that will provide the knowledge that gives us the spiritual comfort (peace) promised by Christ.
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall humbly but bravely face up to our personal deficiencies, and we shall seek to conquer ourselves through an action-oriented faith in The Word
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