Catherine O’Hara had a beautiful way of lighting up every movie or television screen she was on. From her iconic scream of “Kevin!” on the airplane when she realizes they left their son at home in the movie Home Alone to her folksy voice and coy stage presence as fictional folk singer Mickey Crabbe in A Mighty Wind, Catherine O’Hara’s presence on screen was always captivating. Early on in her career, she demonstrated an innate comedic timing and a depth of emotional range, not to mention her piercing blue eyes that you couldn’t help noticing. I was always amazed by the way she could draw you into the story with only a few words or with the emotional expression on her face, and she had a unique gift for speaking a word of deep and moving truth, even in some of her more comedic roles. As I was reminiscing about one of O’Hara’s movies I enjoyed, a friend said, she “made being the weird one not only acceptable but maybe even admirable.” To me, that says everything.

Later in her career, Catherine O’Hara played Moira Rose, a former soap opera star who, along with her wealthy husband and spoiled adult children, lost everything and was forced to move into a rundown motel in a less-than glamourous town. Moira is overdressed for every occasion, uses a far bigger and more refined vocabulary than any situation calls for, and her sophistication while living in an entirely unsophisticated town is delightfully ridiculous. And yet, every now and then. Moira had a way of seeing the heart of a person and saying just what was needed. In one particular scene, Moira is talking to Stevie, the self-deprecating, skeptical front desk clerk of the motel where Moira’s family is living. Moira, in typical fashion, is upset because she is not the topic of conversation in the news and online. She is bemoaning that she isn’t the topic of an online scandal, and even though she says really ridiculous and off-color things, she suddenly looks at Stevie and tells her to make sure she talks lots of pictures of herself now. She may have a thousand reasons not to like how she looks, but as Moira says, “But, believe me, one day you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say, ‘Dear God, I was a beautiful thing!’”

We have a way of missing the beautiful things right where we are because we see all of our faults or the obstacles in our path instead of the blessings. It’s only when we look back that we can see how much we took for granted or missed out on. I spent much of high school embarrassed by the mole on my face and how skinny I was. I was embarrassed about the stories and poetry I wrote, and I told myself that people would not be kind or accepting if they read what I wrote. Looking back, I see myself in a much different light. I see myself with kindness and compassion. I can recognize what was good and what was beautiful and what was uniquely me, and I wish I could have shown myself even a fraction of that compassion in those earlier years, instead of all the judgment and shame.

I imagine the people Jesus taught in our Scripture passage this morning were carrying a lot of shame with them. Our reading for this morning was just the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, but if we back up to the end of chapter 4, we get a glimpse at the people Jesus taught. Matthew describes Jesus’s early ministry and the people who followed him this way:

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” 

In Jesus’s day, there was a strong concept of honor and shame, and if something happened to bring shame on you, it didn’t just shame you, it shamed your whole family. Many of the people who followed Jesus had suffered, and they had been shamed for what they were going through. 

As this crowd of unexpected people followed Jesus, he found a place up on the mountain. He sat down, the disciples came closer, and he gave an unexpected teaching. He began, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” And he continued to speak blessings over unexpected people, people who would not have received honor, people who were downcast, and sad, and suffering. He did not speak words of shame or judgment. Instead, he spoke blessings. Amy G. Oden, a professor and spiritual director, said that this kind of blessing only makes sense in the kingdom of heaven. It’s not earthly blessing, or worldly happiness. She writes, “Within God’s life (kingdom) ‘blessedness’ does not depend on wealth or health or status. It is not a reward for righteousness or duty. Rather, blessedness is God’s sheer gift. In the realm of God, life is not governed by honor and shame, but by the promise of abundant life.”

Did you hear that good news? We do not have to be wealthy or healthy enough. We do not have to be righteous enough or right enough. We are blessed simply because of the amazing gift of God’s love and grace for us. We need to hear this good news all the time, but it’s especially important in a world that often works to break us down, crush our spirits, and leave us wondering if we’re strong enough to see another day that we hear this amazing good news: God blesses us right where we are. God blesses us in our broken places, our questioning hearts, our places of shame and tells us, “Dear one, you are a beautiful thing.” 

Sometimes, receiving this blessing for ourselves is hard enough, but the blessing goes even farther. God’s blessing is for us right where we are, and it extends to others right where they are. I want you to take a moment and imagine someone who is going through a hard time. Picture that person and the weight they are carrying. Imagine Jesus speaking over them, “Blessed are you…” This week, I’ve been imagining children who are trapped in scary situations that they did not cause. I think about the little ones, vulnerable kids in unkind places. I imagine how they feel. Are they alone? Or afraid? Blessed are you, little ones.  

I don’t know how many of you have heard of the Walk for Peace. On October 26, 19 Buddhist monks and their dog Aloka the Peace Dog began walking from Ft. Worth, Texas. Their goal is to walk from Ft. Worth to Washington, D.C. – about 2,300 miles. As of today, they are on track to make it to their destination by around February 11 or 12. Partway into their journey, two of the monks were injured by a truck that struck their escort vehicle. One monk was injured enough that he had to have his leg amputated. Later on during the walk, Aloka the dog needed to have a knee surgery because of a previous injury. And now, the monks as they continue to walk, are walking through driving snow. They walk for eight hours a day, even in terrible weather, all for the purpose of peace. Many have asked why they walk, especially after suffering injuries to two monks and their dog needing a difficult surgery, and one of the monks answered the question this way: “Peace is not a trophy we find at the end of 2,300 miles; it is the path we cultivate under our feet with every breath and every step.”

As I think about this statement, I find myself realizing how true it is when it comes to the blessing of being part of the kingdom of God. God’s blessing is not a trophy we earn. It’s not a reward for having our lives together or doing the most good works. God’s blessing is something we are given, and it is something we share with others with every breath and every step we take.

In a few moments, we will gather together around the Lord’s table. We will taste the feast of the reign of God, and we will be strengthened in our love for one another. As we share of this meal together, may it speak a word of blessing over each of us: “Blessed are you…right where you are…in your imperfections, in your longings, in your places of pain.” And may we find ourselves strengthened by God’s blessing, so that we might reach out with God’s blessing to others. Quite often, just like Moira Rose pointed out to Stevie, we don’t notice our blessings clearly while we’re in them. We look back and see they were there all along. May God open our eyes to the blessings of the kingdom of God so that we might share them with this world with every breath we have and every step we take.