exceptionnoted

St Francis in Mom’s Garden
Photo by Russell Smith

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Yeah, right. 

In what way could that possibly be true? 

It’s easy to say, “Oh that’s a future promise.”  In other words, “Suck it up now, and you’ll get a nice shiny reward in heaven.”   While we certainly hope in the life eternal, isn’t there a present manifestation of Christ’s rule?  Isn’t there hope for the meek right now?

I think so.

First of all, meekness is not the same thing as powerlessness.  Meekness is akin to gentleness, which is about wise use of strength.   We all, no matter how lowly, have some strength, some capacity, some giftedness, some power.  This comes along with the dignity of bearing the image of God.   You have power and strength.  It may be diminished or depleted, it may be corralled and kept in check…