Episode 53 - The Beatitudes: Living Honestly Self-Assessed
In this episode we delve into the third Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek." Meekness is not a favorable term in today's world. But when we look at the word's historical context, other meanings come to light, such as power/strength under control, honestly knowing who you are and where you stand with God/self/others, not needing to defend/react/take offense/offend. This is the balance that all spiritual journeyers strive for every day. Here we share how we have grown in our experience of 'meekness' and its promise of life mastery.
NOTES:
The third Beatitude:
Meekness is usually interpreted to mean weakness, tameness, submissiveness or a lack of courage. That's not what this is about.
Greek word translated as 'meek' is praus (pray-ooce) - it is associated with taming the wild or calming the irritated.
Other ways to interpret the word meek:
Power under control
Gentleness of spirit
Free from arrogance
Unpretentiousness
Honest Self-Assessment
Accepting of strengths and limitations
Down-to-earth
Open-minded
Willing/able to wait
Non-defensive/non-reactive
Neither giving nor taking offense
Who you would have to be if you didn't feel the need to defend yourself, please/pacify/offend/exert yourself toward others, or take offense? A pretty solid person!
A couple examples:
Neil Armstrong who was an extremely accomplished man, but always acknowledged that what he did was the work of tens of thousands of others.
Another example is the man who first greeted the shooter at the mosque in New Zealand with "Hello brother."
The promise is: They will inherit the Earth.
Metaphysically, this means, "You shall have dominion over your experience of the world."
Dialogue Questions
How do these interpretations of 'meek' resonate with you? Which phrase do you connect with the most? Why?
Why do you think the expression of meekness holds so much power?
Share how you have grown in your understanding and experience of meekness as it is presented here.
Have you ever found yourself either too puffed-up or too submissive to be effective? What happened? What do you do now to find the right balance?
Share your experience of the promise of dominion over your world when you live honestly self-assessed
Share about the realization of the Comfort of Spirit in the midst of loss. What was your experience? How did/does Comfort show up? Have you been the Comfort of Spirit for another?
NOTE: During our dialogue, I recommended a book titled, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by John Haidt. It is an excellent book for anyone interested in creating a positive future for our increasingly polarized nation. We can and need to understand each other. "Moral communities are fragile things, hard to build and easy to destroy." Jonathan Haidt
Affirmation
When I live with an honest assessment of myself, I know my strengths and limitations. I have no need to control, dominate or bring attention to myself, nor do I succumb to submissive weakness or misplaced modesty. I move with grace as the power of Spirit, open to new ideas and seeing what I have not yet seen. I am patient with others and myself, and realize that there is no need to resist, withdraw of take offense. I have dominion over my world.