Nothing is as strong as true gentleness, and nothing is as gentle as real strength.

Francis DeSales

Yesterday morning, we awakened to the news of the death of James Bond – Sean Connery, at age 90.   He died in his sleep, which seems appropriate; had he been awake, surely, he would have figured a way out as he always did in the movies.  I’m not a huge fan; I don’t seek out James Bond movies, but when I think of Sean Connery in that role, I see him bound, in water up to his chin, seemingly hopeless, facing sure death, yet remaining calm, allowing his expertise and clear mindedness to consider the most feasible means of escape, which viewers can be assured will come, no matter how unbelievable.  In life, whether faced with the crisis of a shootout or a high-speed chase, even a woman’s wiles, James Bond maintains that non-anxious gentlemanly presence, with his strength prevailing again and again.

The late 16^th/early 17^th century French mystic Francis DeSales, beatified by the Church in 1661, was well-known for his gentleness and patience; known so well, in fact, that he is often referenced as the “Gentleman Saint.”  He offered great counsel in spiritual direction and is often quoted in these circles.

A DeSales quote that relates so well to our celebration of All Saints and our lessons for today [and maybe even to James Bond] is this: “Nothing is as strong as true gentleness, and nothing is as gentle as real strength.”

If, as our collect for All Saints’ Day exhorts us, we are to follow, by God’s grace, our blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that will be accomplished in gentleness – nothing is as strong as true gentleness.  The champions of our Beatitudes from our Gospel lesson are not victims seeking rescue, but humble servants seeking virtuous and godly living maintained in gentleness of spirit.  Each beatitude addresses a virtue that is encompassed within the strengths of our faith journey as gentle people of God.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.  In gentleness and humility, we recognize the poverty of our spirits, our human weakness, placing our souls fully within God’s guidance that we might inherit the kingdom of heaven, now and yet to come.

Blessed are those who mourn.  With sincere compassion, we mourn for the world, that we might be intentional, though gentle, vehicles of God’s comfort.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, not by brute force, but through the strength of their gentleness.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  We seek righteousness to assuage our hunger and thirst.  It is not our frenzied desperate efforts to gather the comforts of our world that fill us with the peace of God; but it is in the gentleness of walking with intention in the ways of God that we are at peace.

Blessed are the merciful.  Mercy comes to us when we are capable of showing mercy to others; lack of mercy is a powerful tool of our own destruction.

Blessed are the pure in heart.  The hearts of those who seek mindfully to walk in the ways of God are pure; their nature testifies to the strength of gentleness.

Blessed are the peacemakers.  God’s presence sustains us in peace in the light of the day and in the dark of the night.  The children of God are peacemakers – those who from their own sense of calm actively seek to bring calm to our chaotic world.  Our words from John’s first letter affirm us as those children of God.  “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God.”  As children of God, we are called to bring about peace throughout our world; we do so gently, for nothing is as strong as true gentleness, and nothing is as gentle as real strength.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.  John, in the portion of his Revelation that we have read today, tells us that those white-robed who stand before the throne and before the Lamb have come through the great ordeal; they have been made white by the blood of the Lamb; they have been persecuted for righteousness sake, reviled and falsely accused.  Their gentle acceptance of persecution and death for righteousness’ sake has left behind a brightly blazing torch of strength for those who would be tempted by the trials of this world to forsake their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  What greater strength, what greater reward could exist than the gentle peace of God in the kingdom of heaven.

During his time of earth, our Lord could have pursued positions of worldly strength.  Surely, he could have been the most forceful military leader, the wealthiest and most powerful emperor of the Roman Empire, the most highly sought-after magician and faith healer.  But no, he came in the gentleness and quietude of a cattle stall and went meekly to the Cross – all for our salvation.

The white robed martyrs standing before the throne and the Lamb in John’s heavenly revelation did not receive their reward as the result of their earthly strength, but in the true gentleness and patience that came to them through their earthly acceptance of total dependence on God alone.

The book of Revelations is one that is very often held in fear, and there are portions that are truly perplexing and fearful.  But, more important are these portions that assure us of our everlasting reward before the throne and the Lamb; these are the verses we read so often as part of the burial rite; these are the portions of John’s revelation that bring us comfort and peace – gentleness as we face our earthly death and the death of those we love.  We would all desire gentle death.

In closing: No doubt, this week will bring challenges to our pledge toward gentleness.  As children of God, each of us passionate about our political opinions, there are other children of God, equally passionate, who have completely opposite though well-informed opinions.  Our individual hopes for our country are widely divided; whatever the outcome of the election, our patience and gentleness are sure to be challenged.  So, for the duration until and following the decisions of the election, let us be gentle with ourselves and our neighbor.  May we have to grace to follow the blessed saints of God in virtuous and godly living.  Let us each pray diligently for safety and peace and the ongoing well-being of our nation, for all who make this their home, and all who look toward this great country as the beacon of strength and goodness throughout the world.  And, from our Lord Jesus Christ who blessed the poor and the meek and the hungry, let us remember that nothing is as strong as true gentleness, and nothing is as gentle as real strength.