The kingdom of heaven is promised to the poor in spirit. The same people oppressed by these wicked systems, the same people that feel like I just can’t get ahead, the same people that are trying everything to stay afloat. My promises come from God. Poor in this text or destitute, of little value, relatively worthless. That this world has pushed you to a place in which you have absolutely no hope in what you see in this world, God’s got a kingdom for you.

Many of the early Anabaptists of the 16th century were people of little social standing who ended up dying a gruesome martyr’s death. I chose Helena von Freyberg for today because here is someone with some power – wealth and connections – someone who lived. And in living, she was able to offer what she had – her homes, her castle, her faith – to those who were seeking shelter and Christian community.

How do our prayers for peace and our actions for peace flow back and forth between one another in a way that keeps us grounded in God’s vision for the world?  I think these questions are worth sitting with, because I wonder if sometimes we have set up a false choice between helping those in need and engaging in the political work of changing the conditions in which our neighbors live.

Tonic masculinity. Tonic, like medicine.  Tonic, like liquid health you drink down to boost well being.  Tonic masculinity. Tonic, like in music, the stable grounded pitch to which the song returns home.  The tonic chord that feels perfectly at rest.  The tonic key, which holds the harmonic ecosystem.  Tonic masculinity.  Can you see it?  Healthy and healing masculinity.