Godspeak

By Dave Andrews

Plan Be – Be the change you want to see in the world.

 

‘Plan A’ has been to ‘treat others like they treat us’. On 9-11-2001, Osama Bin Laden ordered an attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center at the heart of the American Empire. As the world looked on in astonishment Bin Laden cried, ‘Here is America struck by God Almighty in one of its vital organs, so that its greatest buildings are destroyed.’ 1 In retaliation, George Bush ordered an attack on Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan - and also an attack on Saddam Hussein in Iraq (who did not have any weapons of mass destruction, or anything to do with the 9-11attack, but had tried to kill Bush senior.) Bush claimed, ‘God told me to strike al-Qaeda and I struck them, and the he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did.’ 2 As a result, so far over 100,000 innocent civilians have been killed - and we are still counting.

The trouble with an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ policy is that in the end it makes us ‘blind’ – we are no longer able to see - let alone do - the sort of things that make for peace and love and justice.

‘Plan Be’ is to ‘treat others like we would like to be treated’. In 1993, the Parliament of the World’s Religions was convened in Chicago, with 8,000 people from all over the world coming together to see if they could find a common ethic in their religious traditions that they could use to address the issue of violence. And they came up with the Golden Rule. Not the new materialistic version of the Golden Rule – ‘that those with gold rule’, but the old spiritual version of the Golden Rule - ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. It’s a call for all people – regardless of religion - ‘to be the change we want to see in the world’- the ‘people-that-be’ over against.

 

The great value of the Golden Rule is that it is acceptable not only to religious, but also to secular people. General reciprocity, seems to be, ‘common to ethical systems everywhere.’ 3 But, while the strength of the Golden Rule is that everybody agrees with it, its weakness is that it’s 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 simply brilliant Sermon on the Mount - summarising his suggestions in the Be-Attitudes.

The Be-Attitudes

In the Be-Attitudes, I would like to suggest that Jesus gives us a set of ethical guidelines that can help us be the change we want to see in the world.

Let’s reflect on the Be-Attitudes for a moment…

"3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are
persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matt 5.3-10

Who are the people blessed in the Be-Attitudes?

• the poor - or poor in spirit – who identify with the poor ‘in spirit’.
• those who mourn – who grieve over the injustice in the world.
• the meek – who get angry, but who never get aggressive.
• those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - who seek justice.
• the merciful – who are compassionate to everyone in need.
• the pure in heart – who are whole-hearted in desire to do right.
• the peacemakers – who work for peace in a world at war.
• those persecuted for righteousness - who suffer for just causes.

I’m sure you’ll agree, these people are the kind of people that we need in the world.What are the virtues in each of the Be-Attitudes that are being blessed?

• Focusing on the poor (not status or riches) - Humility
• Grieving over the injustice in the world - Empathy
• Getting angry but not getting aggressive - Self-restraint
• Seeking for justice (not vengeance) - Righteousness
• Extending compassion to all in need - Mercy
• Being whole-hearted in a desire to do right - Integrity
• Working for peace in a world at war - Non-violence
• Suffering for just causes (patiently) - Perseverance 

If we were to use the virtues blessed in the Be-Attitudes as guidelines for our lives, what kind of people do you imagine would we be? Just think about it for a moment…

• We’d identify with the poor ‘in spirit’.
• We’d grieve over injustice in the world.
• We’d get angry, but never get aggressive.
• We’d seek to do justice, even to my enemies.
• We’d extend compassion to all those in need.
• We’d act with integrity, not just for the publicity.
• We’d work for peace in the midst of the violence.
• We’d suffer ourselves, rather than inflict suffering.

In the Be-Attitudes, Jesus gives us a set of clear ethical guidelines that can help become the ‘people-that-be’ over against the ‘powers-that-be’.

The Bible Society has joined with Dave Andrews to start a Plan Be movement. Head to the Plan Be page on the BSQld website for more information about this fantastic resource and download a sample today!

 

• Consumerism
• Poverty
• A Powerful Force: Free Will
• Who Am I?
• Be the Change