Blessed Be

I was wondering today about blessings: What are they exactly? What's the difference between a bunch of words in a sentence and a blessing? What makes them work or be effective? Do they have to be spoken aloud? Can unspoken thoughts be as a blessing - or curse?

I thought of the subterfuge that caused Isaac to Bless his 2nd son Jacob, instead of his 1st-born Esau. Once the Blessing had been pronounced there was no taking it back; it couldn't be undone, like a legally binding word-document; a spoken Last Will & Testament. 

I thought of Jesus cursing the fig tree for having a proliferation of leaves, but no fruit when he was hungry, and found some interesting insights into what all that might have been about: 
https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/bible-teachings/why-did-jesus-curse-the-fig-tree/

It seems, in blessing, words do need to be spoken, to be given breath; God's given Life-force formed into a carrier of intent, as in 'Let there be....' and there was! 

I checked out the etymology; the many facets, nuances, and later disagreements! There's a mix of Hebrew barak, to kneel, show reverence, obeisance;  esher, state of happiness, joy, bliss; and eulogeo, to give a good report, or 'eulogy'. The disputed factor was about consecrating with blood. None of that trail of thought seemed particularly useful. 

So I changed tack a little and thought of the series of blessings known as the Beatitudes: 

And the modern day version that inspired Nadia Bolz Weber, author of Accidental Saints:: Finding God in All the Wrong People, and founding pastor of House for All Sinners & Saints,in Denver, Colorado: 

[From: http://criticalpages.com/2018/beatitudes-nadia-bolz-weber/]

Blessed are the agnostics. Blessed are they who doubt. Those who aren’t sure, who can still be surprised.

Blessed are they who are spiritually impoverished and therefore not so certain about everything that they no longer take in new information.

Blessed are those who have nothing to offer. Blessed are they for whom nothing seems to be working.

Blessed are the pre-schoolers who cut in line at communion.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are they for whom death is not an abstraction. Blessed are they who have buried their loved ones, for whom tears are as real as an ocean.

Blessed are they who have loved enough to know what loss feels like.

Blessed are the mothers of the miscarried.

Blessed are they who don’t have the luxury of taking things for granted any more.

Blessed are they who can’t fall apart because they have to keep it together for everyone else.

Blessed are the motherless, the alone, the ones from whom so much has been taken.
Blessed are those who “still aren’t over it yet.”

Blessed are they who laughed again when for so long they thought they never would.  Blessed are those who mourn.

You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you.

A morning of musings, that I suspect will keep percolating, with something deeper brewing, perhaps. 

I remember the 1st time I came across the Blessing in the Book of Numbers in my Living Bible as a teenager - even just reading it had an incredible power that took me aback. I still have that Bible; I'd like to think that that Blessing still stands: