The title of the news article is “New Frontiers in Hypersensitivity.” At the end of last week, the US State Department issued a list of phrases in its official State Magazine that are no longer to be used because they are racist, ethnic slurs, or offensive. The banned phrases include “hold down the fort”, “going Dutch” and “rule of thumb.” This is not the entire list, but a sample. While well-intentioned, I question if a pronouncement in an in-house publication is sufficient to change our lexicon. In fact, the author of the article, says “Much has been written about whether the etymologies [of the words or phrases] are true or merely folklore, but this isn’t about their historical validity,” …“[I]nstead, it is an opportunity to remember that our choice of wording affects our professional environment.” [1] Our choice of wording may also impact and shape our faith life and actions we take in response to our faith.
Establishing and then holding each of us to high ethical and moral standards is a worthy goal. In fact, the passage from the Letter of James we read today ends with: “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1: 27).
Let’s backtrack to the beginning of this passage. James reminds us that “every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). God is referred to as the Father of lights and stands for steadiness and steadfastness, just like an Ott light which is a light source that casts no shadows and makes it easier to do fine or delicate handwork. Clear light with no variation or shadow due to change and no distortion of color of shape. James reminds us that we can depend upon God to be this type of light.
Darren Wilson, a professor at Judson University, is the founder of Wanderlust Productions. He has produced three films: Finger of God, Furious Love and Father of Lights.[2] In explaining his rationale for making these three films, Wilson says: “If I were to have to explain what it is about in a nutshell, I would put it like this: if Finger of God is about God’s power, and Furious Love is about God’s love, then Father of Lights is about God’s heart. I went into making this film by asking the simple question: who is God? I wanted to know His character, His personality, and who He truly is.” While I struggle with Wilson’s theology, I do appreciate that he asks the questions that all of us ask: who is God? What can we know about God’s character from reading Holy Scripture? What am I am to do in response to God’s love for me?
James gives us some ideas. Think back to the story of creation in Genesis. “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…. Then God said, ‘let there be light’; and there was light” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good….” (Gen. 1:1-5).
Light is critical to life. Those kept in darkness sometimes suffer from depression or even go mad. Even a little light makes a huge difference. Where there is light, the dark gets pushed back. If you like to camp, you know how bright the stars can be in the wilderness. And how much you miss their brightness if the night is cloudy or if it is raining (let alone snowing!). A flashlight is key to getting around if the power goes off during a thunderstorm or tornado or hurricane. Light connects us to each other. We are not alone when we can see. Emotionally we are more upbeat when there is adequate light.
Jesus says that he is “the light of the world” (John 8:12). By knowing Jesus we are never left in darkness. Yes, our physical world may be dark, but Jesus is always with us. His birth and life on earth, and later his death and resurrection, are events which show us we are not alone in the dark. One reason for the sanctuary candle burning 24/7 is to remind us that the Holy Spirit is always present. There is no where that we can go where the Holy Spirit is not present.
The reading from the Gospel of Mark reminds us that we have the ability to determine what is good and what is not in our life through what we choose to say and do. Once our evil intentions come forth – once they are exposed to the light – we are able to – if we are willing – to see the truth about them. Through our relationship with Jesus, we can change evil intentions into good intentions. When we do that, when there is integrity between our inside and our outside, we can love our neighbor as ourselves. We can love the Lord our God with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our minds.
The Gospel reading today also reminds us to be alert to why we do things and how we value our traditions. When we do something only because it is tradition, without considering the purpose for that tradition, we can end up criticizing others for not following the rules. But when the rules because the primary means through which an action is judged, we can stray from love and God and neighbor. It is not the rules that matter but love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus shows us time and time again that following the rules for rules’ sake is not the way of God. Rules are important when they support human dignity and promote justice for all. But when rules become the only factor by which someone or some action is judged, they become idolatrous. That is not the light that Jesus brought. Indeed, the light Jesus brings commands us to look at the rules we live by and ask whether they promote love of God and love of neighbor. If not, we need to change those rules. When we are willing to examine our own lives, and our own motivations, we can come closer to God. Many of the characteristics listed in Mark’s gospel stem from fear. Some quite directly and some less so. Fundamentally, though, they each serve to cut us off from the relationship we can have with God and neighbor. Self-examination is not always easy. But with God’s help, we can set aside those characteristics that live in the dark. We can walk in the light. We can stop being afraid and learn to live trusting in God’s grace and mercy.
Wilson sees his films as “a monumental call to the church to stand up and finally do what we have been called to do around the world. If we aren’t going to love the world around us, then we might as well pack it all up and go home. If we don’t love, and if we don’t bring freedom with us, then we are simply another religion, lumped in with the rest of them. …The truth is, the light of the world resides within us.”[3]
James is quite clear: “let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). Growing up, I was told that there is a reason that we have two ears and two eyes but only one mouth. The moral of that phrase is that we are to listen and watch twice as much as we speak. We have two feet and two hands to be used to act- not simply to sit and passively wait for the world to serve us. We are to care for the orphans and the widows- and all who are in distress. James reminds us that we are to “be doers of the Word and not merely hearers” (James 1:22). For James, and my hope is for us, “the faith of Jesus means living before God in a manner shaped by the words of Jesus” – Jesus gave us examples of faith alive- faith that exists in real time, real places and real acts of love of neighbor. If we truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God, we can do no less. Amen.