Jesus’ Blessings, or Beatitudes, often go unnoticed as expressions of power (influence with). Power is contrasted with control (rule over). This contrast flows through the Beatitudes. Control is at work among the wealthy who segregate themselves. Jesus teaches the power of interdependence, “Blessed are the poor.” Control is at work when we exert our ego and dominate over others. Jesus teaches the power of humility: “Blessed are the meek.” Control is at work among those who plan for war and to kill people in it. Jesus teaches the power of harmony: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Jesus’ blessings don’t affirm the values of the superman types among us. They affirm the values of the saints among us. A saint means a person divinely inspired who inspires us as vulnerable yet powerful human beings – poor, meek, and peaceful. Jesus’ blessings affirm the paradox of power.
Friedrich Nietzsche did not understand Jesus’ teachings on blessings nor the paradox of power they reveal. Nietzsche was quite taken with Jesus. Yet, he frequently railed against Jesus. He feared Jesus robbed a man of his ego for valor. Nietzsche admired the man of ego who lived for valor. He called him the superior man, Ubermensch in German. It is translated as overman or superman. For Nietzsche, the superior man must be free to exert his will. In doing so he rises above ‘the herd’ so as to dominate them. Nietzsche mistakenly referred to such ascendency as power (influence with) but it is clearly control (rule over). Thus, the superior man’s description is that of the soldier. It is the man who throughout history allows himself to be shaped and controlled by the ultimate herd. It is the wealth oriented, egocentric, warrior enthralled herd. It is the description, for example, of the wealth oriented, egocentric warrior Napoleon. Napoleon had a great fan in Nietzsche. Nietzsche had a great fan in Hitler. Evidence of each man’s herd mentality is their disdain for compassion. Nietzsche, as Khans, Crusaders, and Napoleons before him and as Hitlers, Trumans, and Cheneys after him, regarded compassion as weakness. But compassion is power. It is the power of feeling and acting as one human family; all of us saints, together. It is the power of giving and receiving blessings because we are poor, meek, and peaceful, together. Compassion is the power that prevents superman types from enticing us into their wealth oriented, egocentric, warrior enthralled herd. For as troublesome as the lone Hitlers, Trumans, and Cheneys of the world are, more troublesome are the hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, who follow them. We are weak when we seek membership in the controlling superman herd and strong when we are saints together.
The power of our sainthood is in being blessedly poor together as were Lawrence of Rome, Melania the Younger, Francis of Assisi, Germaine, and Charles de Foucauld. It is in being blessedly meek together as were the unnamed woman with a flow of blood, Martin de Porres, Dom Helder Camera, and Fannie Lou Hamer. The power of our sainthood is in being blessedly peaceful together as were George Fox, Hans and Sophie Scholl, Mohandas Gandhi, Ben Salmon and so many more.
Prayer: Spirit of Compassion, may we grow in unity and power living as one saintly family together.
Question: Who are the Blessed persons I’ve known or have been surprised by in my life?
November 1, 2015 Matthew 5:1-12 All Saints – Solemnity