The beatitudes, are not commands, they’re an announcement – a wonderful reminder of the reality under God’s love. It’s the proclamation that for all who find themselves in the midst of longing and grief, persecution and death. Trusting in God’s mercy, and the salvation we have in Christ, you and I have the blessings of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and everlasting life. We are, contrary to how it might appear to others, and how it might even appear sometimes to ourselves, blessed.