In this book of scripture James actually becomes a critic of religious belief and questions what good just “believing” in God, even the RIGHT God (Deuteronomy 6:4), really accomplishes? James flips the script in a way that might even make some Christians shudder; which is exactly what James was trying to do as he confronted some in the church who reduced faith to just mental assent without it becoming an agent that shapes, transforms, and bears real fruit in the lives of people (and not just for us- but bears fruit for those around us too).

So let’s take a walk through the book of James… Your welcome to open your Bibles and follow along.

The book begins with an encouragement to embrace trials and hardships in our lives. Verse 9 and 10 puts the kind of trials James is talking about in context; “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.” Life can be hard. But the Way through such trials are found in remaining faithful to Jesus and the Way of the cross that seeks to love and serve others NOT in fighting for the fleeting security of  power and position over others.

A recurring theme all through out the book of James begins to take shape. A theme that contrasts those in high and low positions and how in the kingdom of God such things are flipped; after all Jesus taught us that in the Kingdom of God it is the least who are first.

This is a consistent theme in the teachings of Jesus, the Sermon of the Mount, the gospel he preached, and the life he lead that climaxed by being counted with the least of the least; the very cursed of the world, on the cross.

Such teaching sounded so strange and backwards to the religious, particularly those with a high social status. Jesus told one such leader, Nicodemus, who was actually trying to find out what Jesus was teaching (rather than just condemn him for it because it made him uncomfortable) that it would take a “new birth” to enter into the upside down, counter intuitive, world of the Kingdom of God. All of his assumptions about those in high status being blessed and favored by God would be challenged by a gospel where God meets and finds solidarity with those on the bottom; even the scandalous who are hung on a cross.

The book of James comments on such a new birth in verse 18 of the first chapter; “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” The context of this statement is one that speaks of good and perfect gifts from above while enduring humbling trials and hardships. God is present even in hardship and humbling circumstances; and Jesus has paved away for us to embrace life, real, abundant, and eternal life, even in this context. The way of the cross bore fruit for Jesus in the resurrection and this way bears fruit to us also in giving us new life through Christ. So then, this kind of faith changes everything as it literally flips the world upside down; or right side up- depending on how you look at it.

James goes on to rebuke those defenders of ‘right belief’ who fail to actually live into what it says. James actually calls such religion “worthless”. Instead he tells us that “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Pure and faultless “religion” is the kind that looks after those on the bottom rather than fighting to get on top.

Chapter 2 begins with James elaborating on what being “polluted by the world” means as he rebukes those who show favoritism to the rich. This was of course completely backwards compared to the religious and social worldview of the day as it framed wealth and status as a sign of being favored by God. James rebukes this view of favoritism that marginalizes the poor as breaking the point of the law to “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

James reminds us again that faith without works is dead, and as he moves into chapter 3 he applies this to how we talk to and treat others. Deeds that come from a humble position is evidence of real wisdom, while deeds that come from selfish ambition trying to position yourself over others is down right “demonic”. But, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” It’s the Peacemakers who “sow in peace”, living into a way that reconciles the least with the greatest that “reap a harvest of righteousness”.

In this context James rebukes those who find themselves in quarrels in chapter 4 as they try to assert themselves over one another. He calls this way of trying to get on top “friendship with the world”. “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble”, so we should “submit ourselves” to God; as Jesus Christ likewise humbled himself and submitted himself even to the cross.

James drives the point home in chapter 5 as he again rebukes those “on top” for not embracing the call of the Kingdom to race to the bottom so that they can become servants of all. He cries out against injustice done by those who work to maintain their lofty position by not paying fair wages to the workers they have mowing their fields. He accuses them of fattening themselves on those who are being lost and slaughtered. James actually calls this injustice the same as participating in the murder of innocent ones. Such words echo the tyranny of the Pharaoh in the book of Exodus as James says that “The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”

Wow, this message is tough, and it can be hard to hear. Really, those who claim to believe in God, even the right God according to the right religion that embraces “the Lord is one”, can be compared to the likes of Pharaoh or Caesar? James responds to the question with, “show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Jesus would say, you can tell what kind of tree it is by its fruit.

Do not mistake my words or the words of the book of James. “Works” do not gain us salvation- but they are evidence that we have embraced the kind of faith that really saves us. So James is not talking about “earning” anything. And by “works” and “deeds” James is not speaking of some arbitrary moralism of individualistic false piety. What he is talking about is evidence (fruit) that demonstrates that we have come to love God by the way we love our neighbors (especially those on the bottom) AS ourselves. This is the way of the cross.

So let’s look at some more poll numbers. According to the census in 1990 86.2% of Americans considered themselves Christian. In 2004 that number dropped to 76.0%, but still clearly a majority. Not only this, but this number reflects those who embrace the Christian God as opposed to a generic god in the world poll. I believe James would respond to these confessions of faith with a ‘so what’?

It was Jesus who told us that the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves is LIKE the commandment to love God with all we’ve got. We can’t have one without the other. Yet even with declining numbers the majority of people in our country believe in the Christian God. With still such a large Christian confession I believe that the real tragedy of the modern church in our culture is not that we have turned away from God; it is that, believing ourselves turning to Him, we have turned away from men. You “believe” in God ~ so what?

The book of James ends with a call to be patient, and steadfast in this counter cultural race to the bottom that Jesus initiated. Embracing the “dog eat dog” world can not only be enticing, but seem like the only way we can survive in difficult times. But James dismisses the doctrine of the ‘survival of the fittest and strongest’ as he encourages us to remain faithful to Jesus and the way of the cross. I can almost hear Jesus echoing the sentiment with his often repeated phrase- “what good is it to gain the whole world and lose our souls”?

James encourages us to take the time to sow the seeds of humility. Like Jesus, we should find solidarity with the least of these rather than stepping on them for our own gain. We should live like we really believe that what was planted according to the scandalous way of the cross will bear fruit for real life through the power of the resurrection.

The real question is do you believe it enough to really live into it as the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

I do not want to dream too big again. I have found that such grand dreams are just that much easier to crush.  Perhaps there is a way of holding on to some of that goodness and not throwing baby out with the baptism water of such a complete embrace of the Way? For how can such a Way claim victory if it is  snuffed out by the kind of real strength capable of protecting its own interests by whatever means necessary? Oh, but these two ways are so opposed to one another how can they really coexist?

Perhaps the ways of the world really are simply more practical and realistic? The strong survive the longest as they posses the power to take what they need? Survival of the fittest, kill or be killed.  Do we really have any other choice?

I once watched a Dreamer closely as I followed him, but I watched his dreams die with him too. I learned from him that to find solidarity with the least in the world, those easily trampled on and oppressed, will only lead to sharing their same cursed fate.

Would not charity be better than solidarity? Wouldn’t it be smarter and safer to reach down even with our short arms from the high ground we have secured?  Wouldn’t it be better to just pull up those few we can reach rather than abandon our security and meet the masses on the bottom; and die with them? What good can I do if I am dead? How can this really be the Way? What good can the Dreamer do dead? Why did the Dreamer insist that it was our humanity that is at stake? Isn’t it enough just to survive?

Oh, but I hear the words of that dead Dreamer in my mind asking me to consider carefully what is gained and what is lost when acquired by the means of the ways of the world? Yet even though the Dreamer has lost his life, how can I rest in the modus operandi of the world after allowing myself to indulge in the imagination of the Dreamer? There seems to be no good news available and every choice a hopeless one.  In my despair I can only imagine some kind of escape pod that can take me far away from this world.

But I hear some saying the Dreamer is back from the dead and is the first fruit of all of his dreams.  How can this be? I’ll believe it when I see it. When I can touch it and better make sense of how life can somehow magically spring from the fatal wounds of love that finds solidarity with those that are cursed; then I will believe.

Can there really be such a thing as resurrection? An escape pod would be much easier to believe. That way I could be content to lock my door and stay safe in my room away from the suffering and nastiness of the world until such a salvation rescued me. Waiting to be sent out of the world is far easier that being sent into it. Perhaps I could muster enough courage to occasionally crack my door and invite those nearby who look safe to come in with me until our salvation comes?  Because believing in some kind of “afterlife” following death in this forsaken world is one thing, but believing that life comes from embracing suffering and death is altogether inconceivable.

A possible escape from this crazy world I can swallow a bit easier, but resurrecting it and restoring it in the Way of the Dreamer is much, much harder to believe – yet I can’t help but to wonder what might happen if I actually dared to believe anyway?

Can such dreams really be embraced in a world of flesh and blood even after we have seen a perfect embrace  put to death? Can there really be such a thing as resurrection?

Blessed are you who are satisfied, for you do not need to worry about going hungry and can focus on heavenly things.

Blessed are you who laugh, and do not get distracted from what is really important for eternity by the shortsighted weeping of those who futilely mourn because of, and for, a doomed world.

Blessed are you when everyone loves you, when they tell you how great you, and what a saint you are, because of your faithfulness to the Son of God. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how our fathers treated those whom they determined where truly faithful.

But, woe to you who are poor, for if you were willing to work rather than beg you would receive comfort to the degree of your effort. You need to fix your attitude and get right with God.

Woe to you who are hungry, for you focus so much on your stomach that it is difficult to seek after the spiritual bread of life so you can go to heaven when you die.

Woe to you who weep and act as a victim neglecting your own responsibility. You try to make others feel guilty because you have had no success, but you have reaped what you have sown.

Woe to you when people speak ill of you, for you are only as good as your reputation – honor is given to whom honor is due.

This is what Jesus says in Luke 6:20-26 right?

I thought this poem beautifully captured an increasingly post-modern realization that our understanding of God is so very limited as it is dependent on human language. If it were not for God “magnetizing our prayers” and “translating our limp metaphors” we would have no chance of connecting to God at all.

This is where I take great comfort in the fact that God meets us beyond words as he became united with humanity through the incarnation. God came to us as a person, as God’s Word made flesh. Even though I know I fall short of all that means as I speak of these things, I know God is with us even in our humanity. Jesus himself is God’s Word, where the words and symbols (as inspired or as perfect as they are) even in scripture, can not capture all that God is. Human words and language sent through the air or captured on the page are incapable of completing even one divine sentence; even the divinely inspired words of those like Moses and the Prophets. Jesus did not come to take away those words that man (through God’ breath upon them) began to stutter, but to complete the sentence in a way that only the Word made flesh could.

So, I am greatly humbled by C.S. Lewis’ poem as I am reminded of my own limitations to speak of God. I am thankful that God is far bigger and more real than the words I use. One of the beauties of the Christian faith is not that our words to describe God are perfect, it is that God meets us beyond these words in the context and limitations of our own humanity. So then, let us acknowledge and humbly embrace our humanity and its limitations as God has. Let us also not get caught up defending our human descriptions of God as if they are God himself, because in doing so we only end up defending what we make into idols . This is an important footnote to our prayer as we seek after God.

Footnote to all Prayers by C.S. Lewis

He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
Worshiping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
Our arrows, aimed unskillfully, beyond desert;
And all men are idolaters, crying unheard
To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

Take not, O Lord, our literal sense. Lord, in thy great
Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

Now I am looking to start a new multi-contributor site, and after many friends have left blogspot for wordpress I thought I would check it out before I invested in making something new. What better way to try it out than to see if I can get back into regulatory writing on a personal blog.

As I mentioned, my former blog was called “Indigenous Stranger”, a more creative name for sure, meant to allude to the tension between living “in but not of the world” as we follow Jesus Christ.  I wrote five years ago in my first post, “I am indigenous to the world and culture I am from, but as a follower of Christ I also have a new identity in Him that makes me a stranger to this world. The “in but not of the world” tension on the disciple’s life makes life far more complex than the black and white world Christians sometimes want to paint.”

But a new start in a new space calls for a new name. I know calling my blog “James Diggs”comes across as either shameless self promotion or a complete lack of creativity.  But to be fair, I just chose something quickly thinking I was just making a temporary blog to test out the features.  But now that I am playing with it, maybe this is a good opportunity to try and get back into blogging.  Perhaps I will even leave the name of the blog as it is, and take advantage of the tag line above my name in the template I chose to be more creative with.

Maybe the tagline could change regularly and I could say things like “the shameless self promoting of- James Diggs”, or “the random and barely coherent thoughts of- James Diggs”, or ” a blog by James Diggs on- James Diggs”.  Maybe it doesn’t have to be funny all the time, but I just don’t want anyone to think I take myself all that seriously if I chose to keep a blog named after myself.

So, we will see if this sticks or not. This experiment with wordpress may be just what I needed to get blogging regularly again.