It's been some time since I've written on my blog, but I figured this was the best place to put this passage and issue that's been on my heart. So much for homework, heh heh. Enjoy!
James 2:1-4
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
This passage has really stirred me up recently, making me aware of an issue in myself and also in people around me. Our Christian culture today is really reactionary to the "American Dream" (prosperity and freedom), and so we really love to embrace many passages frowning on aspects related to the rich (I'm not addressing this issue here, though). It's easy to breeze right over this passage in James with the same attitude, acknowledging the wrong many of us in my college would probably not struggle too much with, without seeing the broader applications.
Scripture talks about being "poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3), showing us that the poor/rich dichotomy has more implications than simply financial and material wealth. Really, any way we can be blessed and have something of value can be applied to this passage.
Specifically, I'd like to address the emotionally and relationally poor. There's many people around us, even students on my campus, that are hurting and without significant support from those around them. While we are students going into ministry here at Multnomah University, talking about loving those around us and being missional, it seems that often times we are really choosing to invest time in those who are emotionally and relationally rich, and thus can give us the emotional and relational richness we enjoy.
How often do we walk into a room, and choose to sit with those sitting alone, instead of our close friend group?
How often do we look around and see if those in our immediate surrounding are in need, and ask how they are doing with sincere care?
How often do we give of ourselves relationally and emotionally when we know we won't be poured back into, which is real sacrifice?
Do we genuinely love those around us, or are we just "nice" to them?
We've got a great event every semester called Day of Outreach here at college. I think it is an awesome opportunity to bless people in surrounding communities, and I'm not saying anything bad about it. However, how much does it really cost us personally to get a day off of classes to laugh and joke with our friends while working on a project such as painting or raking leaves? How much do we actually sacrifice to show this "love?"
Jesus says in Luke 16 that it is important that we are trustable in the small things, otherwise we will not be trusted with larger things. "[I]f you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (v. 11). If we can't even love when it costs us to the immediately surrounding students and church members, what will earn God's trust with even bigger situations like entire churches, youth groups, and the mission field?
While I do believe having friend groups and "cliques" is natural and even healthy, I think too often they become the sole social element outside of passing conversations and official business. I want to challenge you (and myself) to be aware of those around you, whether in your family, at church, or at your school, to be considering of what their needs might be, and to be willing to love when it costs you, when it might make you a little uncomfortable or it might be a bit draining. Once you're actively doing this, that's when it's wise to retreat to the emotionally and relationally uplifting friend group God has blessed you with to be filled back up again, and to retreat to prayer and time with God most of all.
And if you are one of those people who don't have a friend group, and there's a lot of us, we should hang out some time :)
To Be Continued in Part 2
