The Beatitudes

1. What were new things that you learned about the Beatitudes?

Some new things that I learned about the Beatitudes would be a new idea of "rules," ways to show kindness, and ways to be a good follower of God. The Beatitudes are kind of like a list of blessings. God gifted us the Beatitudes because people need to learn to be kind, and show kindness. Throughout this unit, we have participated in many ways to show kindness. One activity we did was writing out the original Beatitudes, then writing a simpler, easier to comprehend version. After that, we could search or draw a symbol that represents them. This goes to show that the Beatitudes are very individualistic and can have different meanings to others.

1. Which beatitude resonates with you the most and why?

The Beatitude that resonates with me most would probably be the fifth:

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. This Beatitude really speaks out to me because I have always been taught the golden rule. The golden rule is something that most people have heard of, or even know, yet do not always carry out in their lives. For example, some people will be kind and nice to others, yet the people they are kind to are not exactly kind back. This makes the person that showed kindness feel upset, and could possibly make them not want to be kin anymore. God does not want that for people, and people do not want that either. This is why this Beatitude is very important (in my opinion).

(This image was labeled for noncommercial reuse) The photo above represents kindness, and how the Beatitudes are blessings of love and kindness. 

1. What were some things you realized during the class discussion (“gallery walk”)?

Walking through the different representations of the Beatitudes, I saw many different versions of the same thing.The Beatitudes are a never changing list of blessings, yet the way our class interpreted them showed how different that they can be. So many people drew small symbols to represent the Beatitudes that I had never thought of before. Sometimes, others' ideas can be very helpful towards others, making certain concepts easier to understand. The way that the entire class was able to think of different ideas for one topic is truly amazing. That is what I think of the gallery walk for the Beatitudes; amazing.

1. How can you display the beatitudes more in your life?

I can display the Beatitudes in my life in many different ways. For one, I can follow the golden rule: do unto others as they have done to you. Aka, treat others the way you want to be treated. Another way that I follow the Beatitudes is by helping out the poor and needy. Sometimes those that do not have much do not want much, but when you can show a smile or lend a hand, it goes a long way. Other ways I can live the Beatitudes is to just be a good person. Be kind, be generous, be loving. When I can show that I am open to ideas, open to others'nd especiallyopen and loving to myself, I know that God loves me, and that I will reach Heaven.

November 20 2017