Acting Out Loud
What good will we do today?
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill', and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. - James 2:14-17
James focuses on doing. It is not enough, he says, to have faith. One must show one's faith through action.
It is like the expression, preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words. While that is attributed to Francis of Assisi, there is no evidence he said such a thing, and that's a shame, because I lived by that most of my life.
I rarely spoke of Jesus, believing my actions would speak for me. But what if my actions are not the kind that shout out love of neighbor, but simply whisper it to no one in particular?
I think that is the point James is making. We need to be acting out loud.
He uses the example of one who offers prayers and does nothing else to help those in need. How often do we do the same?
Each Sunday, we offer up prayers for those in all types of pain and suffering, and we feel good about that. We leave the church refreshed and renewed, and we may even feel we have done something by making a financial offering to the church with the intent of helping those in trouble.
But that, James tells us, is not enough. We need to get out there and get personal.
Even in my job of feeding the hungry, there are days when I get caught up in the administrative work that needs to be done to keep the place running smoothly.
On those days, I miss opportunities to be among the people, to talk with them and get to know them.
That's a big part of doing the works James is talking about. We need to be brothers and sisters helping each other in this life. There is no greater calling and no greater reward, in my opinion.
What good is making a lot of money if I have no time to share with others while doing that?
Of course, there are good reasons for being busy with the necessities of life, but in those moments when you feel there is something missing, remember James. And then come down to help us prepare and serve a meal.
It will change you.
More to come...