Blessed are...

"Too often we just do what makes sense to us and ask God to bless it. In the Beatitudes, God tells us what God blesses-the poor, the peacemakers, the hungry those who mourn, those who show mercy- so we should not ask God's blessing on a declaration that we will have no mercy on evildoers. We know all too well that we have a God who shows mercy on evildoers, for if he didn't we'd all be in big trouble, and for that, this evildoer is very glad. Rather than do what makes sense to us and ask God's blessing, we'd do better to surround ourselves with those whom God promises to bless, and then we need nt ask God's blessing. It's just what God does."
Claiborne, Shane. The Irresistible Revolution. 219. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2006.