"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4, NIV

In this episode of The Blessed Are series, Cass reflects on the expansive meaning of mourning in Jesus' Beatitudes. Grief, she reminds us, is not limited to death—it also includes the losses we experience when life shifts in ways we didn't plan: lost dreams, fractured relationships, changes in identity, or the shattering of safety and belonging.

Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and the scholarship of R. T. France, Cass explores how mourning is not weakness but holy honesty—an act of faith that invites God's nearness.

She shares her own story of childhood dependence on a food pantry and a later season of relying on public healthcare, connecting these experiences to our collective grief as millions face food and medical insecurity.

This episode invites listeners to see grief as both a meeting place with God and a catalyst for compassionate action.

Takeaways:

• Mourning is broader than bereavement—it includes unmet dreams, identity shifts, and collective pain.
• True comfort comes from God's presence, not from quick fixes or avoidance of sorrow.
• The Beatitudes call believers to embody a countercultural compassion that values the overlooked and oppressed.
• Collective grief—like food insecurity and healthcare loss—is worthy of lament.
• Practical steps to respond: donate food, call representatives, volunteer, and extend hospitality. Not so that others can see our good deeds, but so others can know that God sees them in their need.
• The episode ends with a prayer for those walking through grief.

Join Cass next time as she explores what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness...

Blessed are those who mourn, because we don't mourn alone. Together, we bear witness to a God who turns sorrow into solidarity and lament into love.

Resources to Give and Receive Support

MutualAidHub.org — local networks where neighbors support neighbors with food, supplies, bills

FindHelp.org — search by zip code for free/reduced-cost food, housing, healthcare

Feeding America – Find Food — locate nearby food banks and pantries

Victory Family Church (Norman, OK) Resources Page — food, clothing, addiction, shelter, and care resources in central Oklahoma

Tinker AFB (For military, federal workers only)— (405)739-2747 Located at 6001 Arnold Tinker, Open Mondays and Friday 9am-2pm, Wednesday 9am-1pm