It may come as a surprise that there were tensions within even the earliest communities that gathered around the life and teachings of Jesus. Which teacher and leader had the most authority and what was this authority based on? Was authority based on a person’s social standing? On miraculous signs? On being persuasive? Paul undercuts these conventional sources of authority, saying instead that God acts in ways that defy human custom, convention and logic. Similarly, in the “beatitudes” (blessings), Jesus articulates what we pray every week–”… your [God’s] will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In human history, kingdoms and empires have been built on power and control enforced by violence. On the other hand, characteristics of God’s realm are rooted in humility and openness toward God and are reflected in being merciful, peaceable and gentle, in longing for and working toward what is just and right. How do we rely on and benefit from the human status quo? What prevents us from relying more fully on God? What would our lives and the lives of others look like if we lived out the blessings of God that Jesus teaches about?