This website has been put together with the inspiration of Dave Andrews, author of 'Can You Hear the Heartbeat?' and 'Christi-Anarchy' among other books. It takes a radical look at the Beatitudes, those beautiful and confronting words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. I was recently reminded that, while I know how many commandments there are, I had no idea how many Beatitudes there are. This site takes a radical look at each one and shows them in a light that I believe many people would not have seen before. The title of this site is taken from the words of Mahatma Gandhi who said that we need to be the change we want to see in the world. Dave Andrews reminds us that in the Beatitudes we have the framework to be that change. He shows how they cover every aspect of life, from purity of heart to a passion for justice. The one that grabbed me the most was the fact that 'blessed are the meek' does not actually refer to humility as I always thought. The word 'meek' in Jesus' day actually referred to a rage at injustice. The site then shows that another Beatitude reflects the desire for mercy, and that justice and mercy are inseparable. Many of us who are passionate about justice issues find it easy to neglect our own relationship with God. This is where being pure in heart comes in - desiring an integrity that puts God first in all things. Blessed are the pure in heart - that's what I want as well as justice in this world. It was Gandhi who said that the Sermon on the Mount was the greatest message he had ever heard - this coming from someone who rejected Christianity mainly because of Christians. Gandhi also said that everyone knows what the Sermon on the Mount means except Christians. Unfortunately he is right in too many cases. No one who really lived out the Beatitudes could ever justify a preemptive strike on Iraq, nor ignore the plight of our poor neighbours in our own backyard here in Australia and in the rest of the world, nor be indifferent to the way they relate to people in their everyday lives. As Dave Andrews said recently, imagine the revolution that would occur in our lives if, instead of reciting the creeds in church every Sunday, we recited the Beatitudes instead. This website is a big help in getting us started. by Nils von Kalm
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