The Sermon Story

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pronounced blessings on people the world rarely notices: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry, the merciful and the persecuted ( Matthew 5:1–12 ). These sayings, known as the Beatitudes, turn our usual ideas of success upside down. This story about the Beatitudes, retold in our own words, comes from Ukraine's Orange Revolution, together with the reflection the writer Philip Yancey drew from it. It ends with a takeaway for sermons or reflection. Stories in this collection: The Small Screen of Truth: Natalia Dmytruk and the Orange Revolution ──────── ✝ ──────── The Small Screen of Truth: Natalia Dmytruk and the Orange Revolution In 2004, Viktor Yushchenko stood for the presidency of Ukraine against the candidate backed by the ruling establishment. During the campaign he became gravely ill. Doctors later confirmed that he had been poisoned with dioxin, which left his face badly scarred. He survived, and refused to withdraw. When ...