Virginia Woodward has spent 12 years as a relief & development worker, primarily with World Vision International (Jerusalem-West Bank/Gaza, Kosovo, Tanzania). For the last five years, she has been helping her parents, Ginny and Dick Woodward, author of the Mini-Bible College (who will be writing tomorrow’s guest post).

Virginia blogs at Roses in the Rubble.

She suggests you might visit World Vision International WVI.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…”

Anita asked us to unpack this Beatitude theologically (exegeting & all that),but with all those heavy-duty theological types over there in Oxford, I’d like to focus on what it means to BE meek. Practically. What does meekness look like?

It’s simple. Look at a crucifix (I know, I know…Jesus is risen, but he DIED first.)

Jesus Christ on the Cross: meekness personified, exemplified…deified.

To be meek means to lay down our lives for others after laying down our very ‘selves’ – for GOD. This laying down of self is quite different from putting ourselves down. It’s very tricky walking the Heavenly meekness line, reaching the end of self, yet recognizing the beauty of our belovedness in God’s sight- letting our lives and gifts be all for the Glory of GOD’s Kingdom vs. the Kingdom of ME.

Meekness is in the ‘how’ – letting go and letting GOD work in and through us. If we are TRULY meek, we will love (I Corinthians 13 style) with a love that reaches even our enemies. We won’t be so quick to condemn but will put ourselves in others’ shoes. We will be quick to forgive (although it’s still quite hard!) Meekness makes the hard stuff possible by letting GOD dish out the grace-filled-means that makes what seems impossible,possible.

Meekness and mercy go hand in hand. Meek folks are usually on-their-knees Mercy groupies, recognizing their need for God’s mercy…and the need to BE MERCY in this whacked-out-whack-everyone-to-get-ahead world.

Back to the crucifixion. See Mary standing at the foot of the cross. Did she flashback through images of angels, shepherds, three kings, ministry & miracles? Her son, God’s son, hangs crucified. Yet she stands: humble in meekness to maybe not understand, but in meek persevering faith to STAND.

Being meek does not mean being a doormat. It means courageously opening the doors of our hearts, minds and spirits to let God in …and then… again and again.

Lookat the cross. Really look at it.

“Blessed are the Meek, for they shall be like Jesus.”