我們研究八福，認為八福裡所提及的原則，能夠幫助我們達致良好的精神和靈性健康。我認為現今沒有任何社會科學家的高深理論，能比耶穌的話更具安撫人心的力量。耶穌說：「哀慟的人有福了！因為他們必得安慰。」我們可以將這節經文作以下的翻譯，也不會扭曲了原意：「恭喜那些願意面對和感受哀傷的人，因為他們會在我給他們的安慰中，並透過那安慰發現新的事奉和新的喜樂。」

一個精神和靈性健康的人是願意面對和感受哀傷的，並相信哀傷可以深化個人的生命，而不是摧毀生命。我肯定你聽過「神經官能症」和「精神錯亂」這兩個醫學名詞。患上「神經官能症」的人害怕面對現實，而「精神錯亂」的人卻不察覺現實。

如果我們不願意面對和感受從我們內心發出的情緒，那這種對情緒的否認會給我們帶來負面的影響。有一位女士曾經對我說：「我覺得第二福很難做到，因為我不知道怎樣哀慟；我太快樂了，不能哀慟。」我們傾談時，她開始明白自己不是不懂得怎樣哀慟，而是不想哀慟。她害怕面對或感受任何負面情緒如哀傷、悲痛等等，因此，雖然她宣稱自己很快樂和輕鬆，但卻擁有不健全的心靈。

We are looking at as containing the principles which enable us to experience good mental and spiritual health. I cannot think of anything more psychologically in harmony with the best thinking of today's social scientists than the words of Jesus: "Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." We would not be taking any undue liberty with the text of Matthew 5:4 if we translated it thus: "Congratulations to those who are willing to face and feel sorrow, for they will discover in and through the comfort that I impart to them a new ministry and a new joy."

A mentally and spiritually healthy person is someone who is willing to face and feel sorrow, and recognise that it can be made to deepen one's life - not devastate it. You are familiar, I am sure, with the terms "neurotic" and "psychotic". A "neurotic" is someone who is afraid to face reality, while a "psychotic" is someone who is unaware of reality.

If we draw back from being willing to face and feel any emotion that rises up within us, then the denial of this feeling will have negative results within our personality. A woman once said to me: "I have problems with the second Beatitude because I don't know how to mourn, I am too happy to mourn." As we talked, it became clear to her that it wasn't so much that she didn't know how to mourn, but that she didn't want to mourn. She was afraid to face or feel any negative emotions - grief, sorrow, and so on - and thus, despite her claim to happiness and lightheartedness, she was a stunted soul.