James’ advice to his readers to “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves,” is one reason why the reformer Martin Luther condemned the entire book of the New Testament as “an epistle of straw.” “It has,” he said, “nothing of the nature of the Gospel about it.” With all due respect to Luther, this is precisely the opposite of my understanding.
Pity poor James of Jerusalem. His clarion call to active faith, impartiality, social justice, and sincerity has for centuries been muted by the impact of early Protestant hostility to so-called “works righteousness.” Hostility toward any suggestion that one could obtain God’s mercy and salvation through effort was the whole basis of Luther’s objection to James’s inclusion in the biblical canon. Indeed, the central theme of the ninety-five theses he tacked to the door of the Wittenberg cathedral was that a person could not obtain salvation through paying indulgences, making pilgrimages or other acts of piety. Paul emphasized salvation as an unmerited gift of God, obtained through faith alone. And the central theme of James, on the other hand, is that “faith without works is dead.”
James coined a word to describe those who divide their allegiance between God and the world: dipsychos – double-minded. And his verdict was clear: it is morally impossible. You and I are responsible to fulfill our vows of allegiance made in baptism. Injustice is happening all around us, some practiced by our family, neighbours, and friends; some by public officials in our name. It is within our power to work for God’s justice. And although many are burdened by the pressures of time, money, or energy – you can act. You can transform your own life. This is the invitation that God extends. But more so, this is our responsibility as a response to God’s gift of salvation.
As each of us who has ever been in a loving relationship knows, love is a call to action, sometimes a call to sacrifice, yet always a call to single-minded allegiance to the one we love. My prayer is that each of us will inwardly renew our vows of allegiance to God. May you search your soul to discover new and creative ways of putting your faith into action by enacting God’s justice and mercy, and may you be granted the strength and will to do so.
Father Neil Fernyhough
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