“Blessed are the gentle, they shall inherit the earth.”
In many ways this sums up all of the Beatitudes, and the whole gospel message. At its heart is the call to love as Jesus did, without distinction or discrimination, not asking if the love is deserved, acknowledge or even recognised.
Gentleness is not a fashionable attribute. In times like ours that value assertiveness and individualism it can be dismissed as weakness. In this beatitude, and in the gospel as a whole, Jesus shows us another way. He openly proclaims that he is gentle saying:
“Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
His gentleness is apparent throughout the gospel in the loving service he offers to those around him. From the wedding at Cana to the post resurrection breakfast he cooks on the shore, his life is marked by a real desire to care for those around him. We see it when he refuses to turn the crowds away hungry even though his disciples tell him that the don’t have enough food. It’s apparent as he weeps over Jerusalem, and as he comforts his mother and beloved disciple from the cross.
This gentleness is very far from being weakness. It has a strength that can build and maintain communities and relationships even in the toughest of circumstances. Imitating the gentleness of Christ leads us to those daily acts of kindness that renew and sustain our neighbours and our communities. It calls us to a myriad of actions that, while they may seem small, can make people feel valued, cared for and safe.
How are you being called to learn gentleness today?