“Walk in the Way”
James 1:17-27, as rendered in the First Nations Version: an Indigenous Translation of the New Testament
Implicit in this reading from the Letter of James is an argument that he will make more and more explicitlyas the letter goes on:
That it is not enough to simply believe in the ways of Jesus; we must also live them out. We must walk in the ways of love.
Early on in the history of the church this became part of a central theological debate: While the apostle Paul said we are saved by faith and not by works, James said that faith without works is dead. Various mutations of this argument have persisted through the centuries, with the most broadly accepted view being that the different perspectives are really just two sides of the same coin:
Of course, this argument goes, we are “saved” by grace alone. That is to say that we are delivered from our human brokenness by God’s action; it is not something we have to work for. Not only do we not have to earn God’s love, we couldn’t if we tried.
On the other hand (or on the other side of the coin), the argument goes, if we are letting Spirit have her way with us, if we are faithful in prayer and devotion and connected to a community of faith, we should begin to see changes in how we live. That these changes are often called “works,” really confuses things, but it boils down to this:
We should, over time, become less critical and more compassionate, less selfish and more generous, less fearful and more trusting, less cruel and more kind, less angry and more willing to listen and learn and forgive, less fearful and more trusting and bold, less interested in power and more interested in justice, less partial and more loving.
I could go on, but you get the idea: If we are walking in the ways of Jesus, and letting Spirit transform us, over time we should become less like a product of our culture, family, politics, or personality and a whole lot more like that troublemaking misfit Jesus of Nazareth.
Modern attempts to make sense of this false dichotomy between faith and works put it something like this: The spiritual life has less to do with orthodoxy, that is right belief, than orthopraxis, or right practice. Don’t get so caught up in theologies or doctrines or however it is that you understand the Mystery we call God, it says. Instead, focus on how you live.
Now, you may be wondering why I’m talking about this and why we need to even think about this. After all, most of us here are not overly concerned about everyone believing the so-called right things—or even the same things.
Nor are many of us concerned about the traditional idea of salvation and its focus on heaven or hell. We trust that all people are God’s children, and that, just as Jesus made room for every kind of person in his vision of God’s realm, there is room in God’s heart for us all.
And most of us understand that, aside from (or in addition to) our faith, it’s important to live out our values. We even hear this in the current political vernacular: Wwe can’t just believe what we believe or support the candidates we support. We must do something.
And that’s all well and good. But let me share with you an excerpt from the more traditional translation of our lesson:
Be doers of the word, it says, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
Now, we’ve already talked a little bit about the “doing” part of this injunction. But I think we might also need to focus on the “deception” part—because there are so many ways to be deceived or misled. And while James was writing about taking in and living out the word of God and themessage of God’s redeeming love, we are bombarded with any number of different and contradictory messages every day.
We’re pretty good at “doing” as well as “hearing” the message. But exactly which message, or messages (plural) are we living out? Just whose truth is it that we are trying to walk in?
Is it the message of the good shepherd, which tells us that God is with us always and will supply all we need? Or is it the individualistic, capitalistic message that tells us we’re only as good as the stuff we have, and that everything is up to us?
Are we walking in the truth of the gospel message that we belong to God and to one another, and that we owe each other and all creation our love and care? Or have we been taken in by the lie that life is a hard battle and it’s each person or family for themselves?
Are we walking in the way of the Hebrew prophets, of Jesus, and of James that tells us true religion is to take care of the poorest, most vulnerable, and least accepted members of society? Or do we follow the path set out by many churches, that true religion is to follow a rigid code of behavior and reject everyone who is different?
Is the message we’re living out the word of Jesus to love God, our neighbors, and our enemies? Or is it the message of much of our national politics, which is to ridicule, mischaracterize, belittle, and even demonize people on the other side?
Is the message we’ve received the liberating word of our sacred worth and inherent value? Or is the well-meaning but often oppressive message of a thousand different self-improvement books, podcasts, and Instagram accounts that we need to be forever “working” on ourselves and that there’s nothing more important than becoming our best selves?
Are we resting in the gospel of love and healing that sets people free? Or do we think we have to earn the love of others and the approval of society, our family, our church, or even the pastor by doing, doing, doing all the time?
Beloveds, let us be good and faithful doers not just of any ole’ word, but receivers of God’s gospel of love and community and doers of justice and peace.
Let us not be like those who believe they must pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but let us remember that every good and perfect gift comes from God and that God’s love for us will never end, no matter what we do or don’t do.
Let us not wear ourselves out trying to be the people our families or our culture tells us we should be, but let us find freedom and wholeness in letting the Holy Spirit heal us, renew us, and transform so that we might become who God made us to be. Let us find joy and purpose in discerning and being true to God’s call on our lives.
Let us not let ourselves be drawn into the caustic anger and the constant arguments of our political discourse, but let us be quick to listen, slow to speak, eager to understand, and ever searching for ways to build others up. Let us control our tongues and our social media posts.
And let us not be so focused on doing even the very best of things that we forget to simply be, to rest in God’s love and to trust that the Spirit is at work in us and through us.
Beloveds, it is God’s truth of love, justice, community, and care that will set us free. So let us walk it its ways, together. Let us walk in God’s ways, with hope in our hearts.
