The book begins with the protagonist, Dr. David Beck, a provider of pediatric services to the poor, still mourning the death of his wife, who had been viciously murdered by a serial killer eight years earlier.
We never find out how you order a Prime, or whether it's just the well-to-do who can afford one; will the poor continue to mourn as before?
The fourth segment contains seven groups blessed in Jesus' Beatitudes ("Meek, Poor in Spirit, Mourn") and — opposite each — their rewards ("Inherit the Earth," "Kingdom of Heaven," "Be Comforted").
Poor old Cleo, mourning her Antony in between blasts of grandeur and self-pity.
So if someone who is poor in spirit mourns, what does she grieve over?
The person who is poor in spirit mourns over her own sins, the sins of others, and even the fallen condition of the cosmos.
Could we not collectively have mourned the poor murdered victims of Isis in Paris without resorting to ugly culture wars?
Why the hell are they runnin' the ball right now?"), mourns Bobby Christina Brown ("Poor thing"), and sometimes tires of being on the receiving end of her great-nieces' lens ("You know one of these days I'm gonna shove that camera up your ass, Michelle").
It's never really going to be convenient to help the poor, to comfort the grieving, to mourn with those that mourn.
The eight "blessed" groups in Matthew are "the poor in spirit," "they that mourn," "the meek," "they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness," "the merciful," "the pure in heart," "the peacemakers," and "they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake" (King James Version).
