Judgment in 3-D

[This post was originally posted on my Psalms blog, to read more devotional posts from Psalms, follow this link Honest2God.]

Psalm 28:3-5
Do not drag me off with the wicked,

                                      with the workers of evil,
            who speak peace with their neighbors
                           while evil is in their hearts.
        Give to them according to their work
                      and according to the evil of their deeds;
        give to them according to the   work of their hands;
                                        render them their due reward.
       Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
                                               or the work of his hands,
                                he will tear them down

                                    and build them up no more.

This passage starts with the psalmist expressing his dependence on the mercy of God for deliverance, then turns toward prayer for the Lord to judge the wicked in the sure knowledge that God will do so, and by verse 6 he is once again praising God for answering his prayer.

Dragged Off (v. 3)

David's request, "Do not drag me off with the wicked," can only be depended on if we are not the same as the wicked workers of evil.  We should not be self-deceived into thinking that we can be wicked and not suffer the wrath of a holy and loving God. Verse three's use of the word "drag" reminds me of several scenes in the old Whoopi Goldberg movie "Ghost." 

It powerfully depicted the moment when an evil person died and demons came up out of the sidewalk and dragged their screaming soul off to hell. It was a graphic and memorable image in the midst of an otherwise forgettable movie. A more wholesome illustration is the scene from the Muppet Christmas Carole in which the late Marley brothers appear to Scrooge...wrapped in the chains of their own misdeeds and warn him to repent. David's request to not be dragged off was not a request for an exception in God's justice, but a poetic commitment to follow in the ways of the Lord by faith.

God is our saving refuge, our shepherd! To paraphrase Romans 8:37-39, nothing can drag us away from his love. Similarly, Jesus made it clear that if we hear and respond to his voice, none can snatch us from his hand! As it is written,

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)

Due Reward (v.4)

The Lord’s cycle of reward and recompense is sure…though it may not come full circle in this life. What remains will be settled completely in the next. This reward (or recompence in this case) is just because it is “according to”. God will match his response to the person “according to” the three synonymous phrases “their work”, “the evil of their deeds”, and “the work of their hands”, the bill of sin is due, and judgment will come.

However, if we think we can approach God and demand justice to be meted out, we may be setting ourselves up for a fall, since what we need personally is mercy. Our own righteousness is insufficient, and we can only fall before a holy God and ask for forgiveness. Jesus taught that “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). However, those who refuse the mercy of God and show no mercy to others but instead oppress and abuse them will receive their due reward. It will not be one that anyone in their right mind wants to collect, and in fact, many spend their life self-medicating to forget for another hour that such a judgment is coming. It is so much easier to cry out to God like David did and allow God to call forth the response of faithful love in our hearts.

So, should we advocate for justice? Absolutely. However, the justice we should work for as flawed human beings is restorative rather than retributive. It is not our place to condemn others to an eternal fate but to call them to repentance. It is a merciful justice that advocates for mercy to be extended to those who are oppressed and marginalized by the selfishness of our society.

Downward Destruction (v.5)

God will not regard the work of the wicked and proud person but will oppose it. Verse 5 says,

      Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
                                                or the work of his hands,
                                he will tear them down

                                    and build them up no more.

Some people don’t value what God has created, sustained, and redeemed. They deny the existence (or at least the relevance) of God in the creation of the universe. They mock the redemptive work of God in the lives of former sinners. Their actions, attitudes, and words work to tear down what God has raised from the dust. But God will finally respond in kind by opposing their work and tearing it down.

Throughout ancient history, we can see God tearing down empires, nations, and social structures that do not regard his works: Babel, Egypt, Canaan, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and even Israel at times. Is it not still the way of things...that oppressive regimes are judged as God raises up a justice movement from within or by other nations from without? 

While it is easy to see sin in the lives of other individuals, other churches, other cities, and other countries, we need to take a second look at our own lives, etc., and make sure that we approach God and others in the humility of faith and the purity of merciful justice.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5b-7)

If we don't, then we will collectively be at risk of receiving the kind of message from God that Pharaoh once did...

Locust Swarm in Australia

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. (Exodus 10:3-6)

If we lift ourselves up, then God in his love will bring us down, and if we are low in our own eyes, then God will lift us up…higher than we would ever have imagined. We can trust him with our lives! And in that trust, we will pursue justice on behalf of others.

Beelzebul in Baltimore?

This post is an assigned response to Paul Louis Metzger’s post, Baltimore and Beyond: Cities that Wait for the Storm Cloud to Blow Over May Blow Up about dealing with the racialized economic structures in many large cities.

Dr. Metzger quotes at length from then-Republican Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech in his failed campaign against the Democrat Stephen A. Douglas regarding the problem of America's division over the issue of slavery. Lincoln quoted the Bible, Matthew 12:25, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” to make the point that being half slave and half free would not allow the United States to long survive. Lincoln’s conclusion is interesting in that he doesn’t predict the fall of the Union but for the issue to be decided one way or the other. He wasn’t reading off of the establishment's political teleprompter at the time. He lost the senate campaign but won the next presidential election. Perhaps his theology of the Union was galvanized in this early speech that would give him the iron will to fight a very long and devastating war to preserve the union.

Let’s look a bit closer at the passage Lincoln and Metzger referenced.

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:24-27)

In context, the Pharisees were annoyed because Jesus kept healing the sick and delivering the demon-oppressed, and often it was on the Sabbath. People were now giving voice to the idea that Jesus might be the messianic “Son of David.” Since the Pharisees couldn’t dispute the historicity of the miracles (they could see the dramatic results for themselves) they had to contest the source of Jesus’ power. They demonized him—literally. Beelzebul, meant “Baal the lord” a name that originally had been changed to “Beelzebub” referring to “the Lord of the flies”, but had come to be a nickname for the source of personal evil, the accuser, Satan. As R. Kent Hughes comments,

“The heart of the Pharisees and scribes was so hard they said in essence, ‘Yes, Jesus has done a miracle, but only because he is in league with Satan, the Lord of the flies, the God of dung and carrion.’ It was a calculated blasphemy of immense perversity.” (Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth Vol. 1, 426)

This verse makes me think because sometimes being single-minded as individuals can produce a divided household, divided city, or divided nation. Jesus uses this argument not to defend the unity of Satan’s kingdom but simply to point out that it would be a stupid strategy for Satan to use. Ultimately Satan’s kingdom is divided and the kingdom of God is not. So how do we move from our individual wholeheartedness and move toward a greater unity that befits the kingdom of heaven?

What if all our particular callings are supposed to fit together to form one complete multi-faceted gem through which the nations enter? If this is to happen we must learn to give space for the passions which God has placed in the hearts of others. We can and should remain energetic and enduring in whatever lentil field the Lord has placed us (2 Sam. 23:11-12) even if not glamorous. At the same time, we can extend care, respect, and much-needed encouragement to others in their respective fields. Isaiah 5 says that the rich add field to field until they dwell alone in the land. What if we did the opposite, giving away fields until we dwell together with our brothers and sisters in the land of promise?

Israel had its share of inter-tribal conflict and misunderstanding. Some conflicts were unavoidable (Judges 19-20 War against the Benjaminites) where righteous action needed to be taken, while others were not and could be resolved through gracious speech and merciful listening (Joshua 22's Altar of Witness). My point here is that there are some convictions that divide and will always divide. But much division comes from fear and misunderstanding and needs to be worked through. Often such fear can arise when we sense we are losing power and control through the advocacy efforts of others. But there is nothing to fear from the pursuit of justice so why do we get uptight?

So how do we advocate for others instead of being apathetic or even resistant to their efforts? How do we support and encourage the work of others without becoming ineffective in our own fields? Well for starters, let's stop rebuking or demonizing those who are doing the work of God outside of our control (Luke 9:49-50).

In John 8:49-51 we see Jesus answering this charge,

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

We need to seek to glorify God in all areas of our lives and communities. Metzger challenges us to consider those structural injustices that we at best often fail to notice and at worse seem to support.

Do we believe Jesus is who he said he was? There is no escaping his claims. Do we take his social justice commands seriously? We can't be neutral or undecided.

“Given the massive claims of Jesus, neutrality is a self-deceiving ruse. His claims are so great that protestations of neutrality are in fact declarations of disbelief. Further, no one’s life is neutral in its effects.” (Hughes, Luke, 429)

Is it possible that justice claims are that clear?

Beelzebul may be at work in Baltimore...but it is not in the way that we might think. Jesus was for everyone, and we should be as well. It may not be our context or experience but we should consider how we can carry one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2),

From Blue Helmets to Family: Blessed are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Perhaps Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” because no one else would affirm them. Peacemaking (Greek, eirēnopoios) is never popular because to do so means that one is not owned by either side in a conflict. I call it “wearing a blue helmet”. This is a reference to the distinctive blue helmets worn by U.N. Peacekeepers deployed as a buffer in regions of conflict. They are usually outnumbered and out-gunned which sometimes results in their being pushed around by both sides. Dallas Willard captures this sentiment,

The peacemakers… make the list because outside the kingdom they are, as is often said, “called everything but a child of God.” That is because they are always in the middle. Ask the policeman called in to smooth out a domestic dispute. There is no situation more dangerous. Neither side trusts you. Because they know that you are looking at both sides, you can’t possibly be on their side.[1]

Being a peacemaker requires us to see both sides and chart a just course. That is counter-cultural. “Every Christian is to be a peacemaker, and every Christian is to expect opposition.”[2]

Being Peacemakers is to participate in the Missio Dei, for God himself chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world[3], and Christ himself is our peace.[4] We show a family resemblance to our Father, revealing his character when we work for peace in the world. This doesn’t happen through appeasement and compromise, but by engaging lovingly through our kingdom convictions over the long term.

“Peace consists not of exploitation but of all things in right relation to God. Peacemakers enact not the empire's will but God's merciful reign, living toward this wholeness and well-being and against any power that hinders or resists it.”[5]

As we examine this seventh macarism “peacemaking”, perhaps it will help us to better understand what it is, by first considering what it is not.

Peacemaking is not…

• Isolationism where we refuse to get involved.
• Apathy where we are numbed past caring about what happens to others if we ever did.
• Appeasement where we give whatever the aggressor wants to keep hostility from breaking out. History reveals the futility of appeasement (e.g., Chamberlin’s negotiations with Hitler) and should inform the present situations with Iran and North Korea, for, “It just puts off the conflict”[6]
• Compromise where we go around our convictions for the sake of reduced hostilities and a watered-down so-called unity.

Instead of these worldly methods of faux-peace production, the follower of Jesus should take a higher road to peacemaking. In doing so, we reveal the character of God.

Instead of delighting in division, bitterness, strife, or some petty “divide-and-conquer” mentality, disciples of Jesus delight to make peace whenever possible. Making peace is not appeasement: the true model is God’s costly peacemaking (Eph. 2:1-17; Col 1:20)… Now it belongs to the heirs of the kingdom who, meek and poor in spirit, loving righteousness yet merciful, are specially equipped for peacemaking and so reflect something of the Father’s character.[7]

So, what is Peacemaking?

Paul writes to the Corinthians about our calling to be “ministers of reconciliation” as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18-20). We should note that there is truth in the old saying, “peace is not merely the absence of fighting but rather the presence of God”, and thus the presence of righteousness. So the task of the peacemaker is to bring people into the presence of God through the Gospel of Christ.  The peacemaker is committed to promoting peace with:

• God—through personal forgiveness and the preaching of the Gospel.
• Self—through accepting God's forgiveness and cleansing by faith as efficacious for even such notorious sinners as we know ourselves to be.
• Their family and friends—by extending the mercy which we have received to others.
• The World and enemies—by being salt and light, living righteously, working for the common good, and taking a stand for those who cannot defend themselves.   

Those who are peacemakers are blessed to be “called sons of God.” Why? Because they accurately reflect the character and mission of God to those who observe their lives. 

There is a distinction between the generic term “children of God” and “sons of God.” The difference is slight but significant. In Jewish thought, “son” often bears the meaning “partaker of the character of,” or the like. If someone calls you the “son of a dog,” this is not an aspersion on your parents, but on you: you partake of the character of a dog.[8]

They "look" like their heavenly Father because they live in cooperation and obedience to his mission. They are doing just what he does. It is important for us to remember that God is not primarily looking to judge/exclude/destroy the world, but to save it, heal it, and invite it into a relationship. God wants to “re-bind the broken cosmos.”

"When this reconciliation actually takes place, and one has 'peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ—even 'the peace of God which passeth all understanding'—the peace-receivers become peace-diffusers.  God is thus seen as reflected in them, and by the family likeness these peacemakers are now recognized as the children of God."[9]

If we are committed to peacemaking, we will face opposition. The world says this (peacemaking) is not a step, it is not safe. They are partially right. It isn’t safe. It messes with us…for we all have our own semi-sacred hatreds. We have that list of those who are "other than" us. Could God want us to work as peacemakers with them? [Spoiler Alert: Yes he does!] 
What are some ways that we can apply this concept in our community besides continuing to preach the gospel? Some ideas that have been suggested are:

• Mentoring neighborhood kids in an after-school program, since there are many who are unsupervised and at risk until their parent(s) get home from work.
• Working with our neighbors for better environmental standards and practices in the city (e.g., water and air quality are poor). For example, in Longview, WA, water was switched from the Cowlitz River due to a high level of untreatable pharmaceuticals from towns upriver to wells out by the old aluminum plant which brought a whole new set of problems. 
• Advocate for better labor-management relations in the city. Longview has a history of labor unrest going back to the 1930s. Currently, one paper mill in Longview and the teachers’ union in neighboring Kelso are on strike. If only there were management and labor parties committed to the “principled negotiation” of seeking the win-win solution of understanding instead of insisting on mutually exclusive win-lose scenarios.

The list above is just scratching the surface of what one little church in Longview should be praying over, brainstorming, wrestling with, and doing what the Lord tells us to do as peacemakers. Yet the needs are so large and the church is small. In the face of powerful systemic evils that work to objectify and marginalize certain segments of the population, I am strengthened by Paul’s admonition to the Church at Rome, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21).

One well-known example of someone who refused to be overcome by evil is Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” [10] 
When we take such a position, we will be persecuted for that is the natural reaction of the world to the light of God.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21)

Followers of Christ can, and should, be peacekeepers in cooperation with the Holy Spirit who is the one that restrains the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8). Any effort we make will fall short without the involvement of the Spirit. But is it possible that we might not only be peacekeepers in the sense of limiting hostility (negative peace), or protecting the weak from the violence of the strong but peacemakers who work towards all parties being in a right relationship with the Prince of Peace and each other (positive peace)? The family of God... "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)

Where does it start? As this clip from McFarland USA states, 

“How you going to be family if you not eating together?” 

It might be hard, but sit down, share a meal and learn how to be family…it’s worth it.

And enchiladas are tasty too!

---

[1] Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. (New York: HarperCollins, 1998), 118.

[2] John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, The Bible Speaks Today Series, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1985),(Kindle Locations 771-772), Kindle Edition.

[3] Ephesians 1:3-4

[4] Ephesians 2:13-17

[5] Warren Carter, Matthew and the Margins : A Sociopolitical and Religious Reading. Bible & Liberation. (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2000), 136.

[6] R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 62.

[7] D.A. Carson, The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Matthew--Luke). edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Vol. 8. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984),135.

[8] D. A. Carson, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5-10. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 28.

[9] Robert Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989), 28.

[10] Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

“I Can See Clearly Now…”

This is an assigned post in response to Paul Louis Metzger’s post “Blessed are the pure in heart”—not the double-minded and those with cloudy vision.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

    And who shall stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

    who does not lift up his soul to what is false

    and does not swear deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)

Sunrise over Galilee

Purity of heart an essential trait of the true disciple, the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, (as seen in the verses above) can be tied to Matthew 5:4’s “Blessed are those who mourn...”  We mourn for our sins and it leads us to confess, repent, and be found pure in heart. When the love of God illuminates our hearts and reveals our trashy tendencies, we can either repent (allowing God to purify us), or we can turn off the light and continue to pursue darkness. This characteristic is aptly tied to the disciples' vision of God.  Jim Forrest compares those of the impure heart to a spiritually blind man,

Looking through dirty
windows?

Putting ourselves in the place of the blind man, we can see ourselves as blind from birth–not blind in the sense of being unable to see the material world around us but blind in our inability to see God, blind in not noticing the Creator in creation, blind in our inability to see God's image in others. It is usually a worsening blindness; as we get older we tend to become less and less amazed, so that things which were once astonishing become ordinary.[1]

The 19^th Century preacher, Charles Spurgeon commented,

"Foul hearts make dim eyes Godward.  To clear the eye we must cleanse the heart.  Only purity has any idea of God, or any true vision of him.  It is a great reward to be able to see God; and, on the other hand, it is of great help towards being pure in heart to have a true sight of the thrice-holy One."[2]

But purity of heart is not just a morally good life, but a focused or undivided heart. We are not to be playing both sides of the fence to our own advantage. God’s holiness is undivided in his love and mission to redeem the world. The vision of a holy God is, as Spurgeon wrote, a great deterrent to sin. But those who can see God as holy generally live their lives differently; they live wholly unto God.  As it is written,

"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.  Anyone who does what is good is from God.  Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." (3 John 11)

The pure heart is the result of our confession and repentance (itself the result of godly sorrow) and God's gracious sacrifice on our behalf.  We have the promise of His Word,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

We also have the clear warning that if we do not repent (i.e., stop sinning and relationally return to God) we will not see God—at least we will not see his blessing.

"No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.  No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." (1 John 3:6)

Likewise, we are admonished by the Spirit-inspired author of Hebrews to…

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:14-15)

To be pure in heart means that we have integrity, and we are unmixed in mind and attitude.  Sin,

Animas River Spill
Photo NBC News

in any form, defiles, and ruins everything that it touches.  I think of the stains that might be left on a fine suit by India ink, or perhaps something we can relate to more readily today—the effect upon the environment by water made impure by heavy metals, toxic chemicals, or radioactive isotopes. To be pure in heart is the result of letting God wash us clean and reclaim us for use through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, in comparison to which our government's multi-billion dollar toxic waste clean-up "superfund" is infinitesimally small.

When Jesus talked of the pure in heart, he not only spoke of those who were free from sin but of those who were completely devoted to God.

"'Pure in heart' should not be restricted to moral, still less sexual, purity; it denotes one who loves God with all his heart (Deut.  6:5), with an undivided loyalty, and whose inward nature corresponds with his outward profession (Isaiah 29:13)."[3]

The true disciple is the same inside as he is outside; there can be no hypocrisy in the kingdom of heaven, nor any distractions or divided loyalties.  The disciple is satisfied to see God as the sole reward for a pure life lived for God.  As it is written,

"And I—in righteousness I will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." (Psalm 17:15)

This beatitude reminds me of the 1972 Reggae song I Can See Clearly Now, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and made popular by Johnny Nash before being covered by countless other artists…

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.[4]

How many dark clouds of pride, anger, resentment, and other impurities blind us to the faithfulness of God’s promises? How many dust devils of distraction keep us looking off the path and away from the Lord?

When we are pure, undivided, and locked on target in following Jesus, we are open to seeing God at work all around us and in many places that we would not expect. Just like Jesus spoke through the parables to those who have “an ear to hear” so God shows himself to those who have a “healthy eye” full of light (Matthew 6:22). And that is its own reward, for, “To see God is to enter into the great joy of God's love, the dialogue of love within the holy Trinity.”[5] 

Though today “we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)

One day we will sing, “I can see clearly now” and it will be the truth.

---

[1] Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books. Kindle Edition, 9.

[2] C.H. Spurgeon, The King Has Come, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1987, 49.

[3] R.T. France, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - Matthew, Eerdmans, 1985, 110.

[4]  Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, I Can See Clearly Now, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. 1972.

[5] Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books. Kindle Edition, 106.