Healed are Those Who Weep
Ever read the Beatitudes? They’re sweet, if a little milquetoasty. Blessed are the meek? Sure, sure, sounds like a nice thing to say to folks when things aren’t going their way. Blessed are the pure in heart? I’m sure I’ve seen that used somewhere as an admonition against getting righteously angry and doing something about it, which I like to do quite often. Blessed are the poor in spirit? I mean, is that just something you say when you’re friend is being a jerk kind of like in that southern way they say “Oh bless his heart”?
But have you ever read the Beatitudes in Aramaic? I haven’t either but I have read the Beatitudes more closely translated from Aramaic and geez are they powerful. I remember the first time I heard someone recite the Beatitudes in actual Aramaic to me and a roomful of praying people. By the end of the recitation we were all literally laying on the floor with our eyes closed at the sheer power of the words and the energy flowing from them. I know it’s a little woo, but hey, just telling you what happened.
Aramaic was one of the languages Jesus spoke and definitely the one he taught in when talking about metaphysical concepts of Spirit, enlightenment, forgiveness, and love. Why Aramaic? Because it’s such a complex, nuanced, multidimensional language that nothing else will do. Even the English translations don’t come close, but they’re still amazing.
The Beatitude listed in the subject line is traditionally this: Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Well that’s nice, but how about these translations:
Blessed are those in emotional turmoil; they shall be united inside by love
Healed are those who weep for their frustrated desire; they shall see the face of fulfilment in a new form
Tuned to the Source are those feeling deeply confused by life; they shall be returned from their wandering
I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m a beginner student of this language but I want to explore it with you. I want to know how it touches you, how it moves you, how it opens new understandings of blessing within you, and how it renews your faith or perhaps kindles one that hasn’t yet been lit.
