Beatitudes for an Age of Oligarchs, Wanna-be Tough-Guys,
& All Those Who Admire Them
Blessed are those who force their way to the front of the line;
they will get to run things their own way.
Blessed are those who have never suffered any loss,
that way they can know that they are not like the losers of this world.
Blessed are those who enjoy imposing their will on others;
they will get to grab everything they want for themselves.
Blessed are those who don’t let rules and morality get in their way;
they will always succeed in getting what they want.
Blessed are the ruthless;
they will always come out on top.
Blessed are those who never question their own motives;
no matter what they do, they will always sleep well at night.
Blessed are those who stir up trouble;
they can use the chaos to their own advantage.
Blessed are you when people praise you for your ruthlessness, arrogance, and lack of restraint;
you’ll have the rest of the world eating out of your hand.
Beatitudes for “Losers”
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10 NIV)
This was an interesting exercise. I got the idea from J. B. Phillips’s old classic book, Your God Is Too Small. Writing some 65 years ago, he took a stab at creating a version of beatitudes that reflected his sense of what the values of Western culture were in his own day.
I decided to try the exercise for this current political/cultural moment that we are living in. I read Phillips’s version earlier this morning, but I didn’t look at it while writing my own. So, I don’t know how similar or different our attempts may be. And really, that doesn’t matter. The value is in the process more than the result.
I encourage you to give it a try for yourself. Open a Bible, a Bible app, or a Bible website to Matthew 5:3-10. Using what Jesus says there, create a set of beatitudes that you think reflects the values and priorities of the current culture and politics of America (or wherever you live). You may find, after the effort, that you are better able to understand the Beatitudes that Jesus gave us and also better able to articulate the values and priorities you see in the secular world where you live.
After that, we all may have a better idea of what it might mean for Christians to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13 & 14). What sort of “blessedness” do you want your life to bear witness to?
©2025 Gary A. Chorpenning
Related posts:
Pastor Note #143: Coercion & the Kingdom of God
Pastor Note #141: Getting My Bearing for These Times (Cont.): Rejecting Coercion
Pastor Note #142: Violence & Cruelty in America: Who Is My Neighbor?
Pastor Note #119: Jesus’ Way of Power
Pastor Note #107: Violence and the Kingdom of God: a Sermon
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