A lot of things seem to come in three’s. My favourite series of books is a threesome. When things break down in our home it always seems that three things go all at the same time. I can’t seem to sneeze only once or twice. It’s a proven fact that our minds are tuned to remember things that are grouped in triplicate.

Reflections from a young woman with five children listening to the Sermon on the Mount.

. . . It was hard to concentrate and listen to Jesus. My mind was full of worries. There was never enough food. Having enough for today, let alone tomorrow, was always gnawing inside me. I worried. I had trouble sleeping. Getting to sleep, then waking up early.

Reflections from a grandfather listening to the Sermon on the Mount

. . . It was hard to listen to this young Rabbi. He was challenging me in areas I did not want to be challenged.

Reflections from a young man listening to the Sermon on the Mount

. . . I am a shepherd. It had been a hard week. I had been out on the hills with the sheep. Our best ewe had fallen in a crevice and died in the storm. I had just come into town last night. I had run out of food and was so hungry.

Reflections from a young leader listening to the Sermon on the Mount

. . . I had never heard any message from any Rabbi like this! This Jesus was radical. So different from what I had ever heard in any synagogue or the Temple.

Reflections from Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount

. . . It had been a long day. It was time to finish sharing with these wonderful people. They had walked a long way to listen to me, and hear my simple message of what it meant to follow our Father.

This pilgrim song runs head-on into reality—their harsh reality. God’s people have enemies! Enemies within and enemies without. Enemies that would crush and destroy them. Enemies that have kicked them around since they were birthed as God’s people. They are exhausted, beaten down, sore and shredded by tongue lashes as sharp as a flesh-ripping whip. Long, cruel, bloody scars down their backs.