Meekness, certainty, and unknown

Today's Lectio Divina was on the meek inheriting the earth. There is a blessedness in being meek; in-and-of-itself. It seems that the meek live lives of humbleness, with proper perspectives of themselves and the world around them, and are gentle and lowly (NLT). Is the "inheritance" a different kind than we think? Is it just better perspective, enjoying things because a the meek you are more content? Is it a spiritual inheritance where the meek enjoy the sun or relationships a little better because they are not bound by their selfishness? I struggle with this. Why does everything have to be spiritualized and not forthright? If I inherit wealth from a dead relative, I inherit the whole enchilada. Hopefully, I will be changed by their godly character in reflecting on their life, but I can transform that tangible wealth into my life. For good or evil. I don't just gain a different perspective on wealth that translates into having no literal cash, but being happy about it. But other than the word-of-faith crowd, this Beatitude can't be interpreted as much more than a spiritual or other-worldy thing. Too many lovers of God have not inherited the earth to take the words at face value (I'm sorry but blaming them for a lack of faith may be accurate some of the time, but generally it is crap). In some respects we have to find "outs" to make sense of our experience and the Bible. We have to help God out. But God is here now, within me, outside of me, in the room, so far beyond the room, and yet he doesn't seem to feel the need to defend himself. My perspective is less than perfect and he could pull a Job on me. Perhaps this is part of meekness. That God is able to stand regardless of being misunderstood or even taken advantage of. And that be OK.

The whole thing is topsy-tervy, so counter-intuitive. How does "meekness" allow, project, propel, inheritance of the earth? It's crazy. No one gets here from there. I got a little bent out of shape with "inheritance" above, but the whole Beatitude doesn't fit conventional wisdom. Sometimes I feel like God is using words as loopholes to keep from accountability. It's like when President Clinton was fumbling with the definition of "is." Concepts of justice and abundance, any type of reading of the Bible as a contractual basis for prosperity in any respect, leads to disappointment and unobtained expectations. There is no recourse. No judge of God. And this is the way it's supposed to be. For the covenential language of justice and sacrifice has been engulfed by reconciliation. You can't hold a trial for God. You gather into him or you repel, but you can't simply stand in judgment (not at least for too long). Perhaps meekness is a perspective or life lived in reconciliation.

Why does Jesus say this about meekness? Is it to help the self-esteem or provide an ego boost to disenfranchised people? Is he giving us information about how the world changed after his historical, redemptive work? If we were an adult prior to the start of Jesus' ministry and through his ascension that we would say everything changed in religious or spiritual understandings? That our sense of connection or disconnection, attraction or disdain to God have new criteria and Jesus' message to the meek is helping us make sense of this? That the consciousness exposed in all humans through Christ is now a much less forgiving standard than the law? Playing in the gray is not an option. Or is this how it has always been for believers, and Jesus is now revealing what the Apostle Paul spoke of as the "mystery?"

As a tall, white, middle class man should I glean from this that the meek need protection because they will inherit the earth; the meek deserve respect because of their prominent role in God's economy; that I should become the meek? There are probably many messages. And is it possible that in the midst of positional dominance (a religion that sees itself as the full revelation of God/Christianity, tall, white, middle class male) I can become part of the meek?
Is it possible to be meek, inherit the earth, and yet not know Jesus (i.e. go to hell)? Over the last week a number of Ghandi's quotes have come up. The ones I've heard I been so consistent with Jesus' ways and offered amazing wisdom. No one can judge him, but is he part of the meek?