Subversive Community - The Other
Before you think I am going to start having bible studies on my blog, let me just say that when it comes to living alternatively as communities of the Kingdom, you would be foolish not to let the New Testament speak for itself. What Shane Claibourne's group is doing in Philadelphia, or older communities like the Church of Savior have done are certainly interesting to study and learn from. However, when you begin reading the New Testament - particularly Acts and the letters - through the eyes of a community of disciples working out their faith in a hostile culture, windows begin to open up that might remain cloudy or closed if you just read as an individual looking for spiritual guidance.
So...back to James...
"My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?" - James 2:1-7
I am going to take a different avenue for allowing this passage to speak to a context such as ours, because the obvious implications are so obvious - yet often ignored - that the more subtle implications might be missed. It would be easy to point the finger at churches where the elders sit on thrones on stage or wealthy donors get plaques on the back of their comfortable seats, but that is plain silliness and not likely to happen at the Bourque's house next Sunday afternoon during our gathering. In our context, I don't imagine any favoritism would be shown to someone wearing gold rings and fine clothes. We are of either Southern, Mid-western, Cajun, or New Jerseyian stock...none of us that given to admiring a Rolex or an Armani suit. I can just imagine Mike Bourque in his Chivas t-shirt coming up a finely-dressed visitor and saying, "Dude, you're a little over-dressed for this church."
No, the kind of favoritism we need to guard against involves a person who might not "get us" verses someone who does. For example, someone invites a friend at work to a community meal. The person enjoys meeting everyone, and decides to begin coming to our gatherings and hang out. But what if this person has never really thought of church or discipleship to Jesus differently? In fact, what if this person has expectations about the way the church should be structured that will be rapidly disappointed by our rag-tag group of friends? You might say, "Well, that person needs to be offended. It will happen sooner or later...better it happen sooner." That might be true, but is it a task as God's people to go around purposely offending everyone who thinks differently than us? It would sure seem that way sometimes.
There are other scenarios, but I think you get the picture. This passage is really about how we treat "the other". Are we more concerned about organizational purity or relational unity or, well, that we just like everybody that we hang out with? James says no, because as soon as we become too concerned with those sorts of things we lose the ability to love (or even tolerate) someone who thinks different or is different than us. A hard truth, but one James says we should watch out for. After all, if what is at stake is relating to those who are "rich in faith and...heirs of the kingdom," then it is not a truth to ignore.
So...back to James...
"My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?" - James 2:1-7
I am going to take a different avenue for allowing this passage to speak to a context such as ours, because the obvious implications are so obvious - yet often ignored - that the more subtle implications might be missed. It would be easy to point the finger at churches where the elders sit on thrones on stage or wealthy donors get plaques on the back of their comfortable seats, but that is plain silliness and not likely to happen at the Bourque's house next Sunday afternoon during our gathering. In our context, I don't imagine any favoritism would be shown to someone wearing gold rings and fine clothes. We are of either Southern, Mid-western, Cajun, or New Jerseyian stock...none of us that given to admiring a Rolex or an Armani suit. I can just imagine Mike Bourque in his Chivas t-shirt coming up a finely-dressed visitor and saying, "Dude, you're a little over-dressed for this church."
No, the kind of favoritism we need to guard against involves a person who might not "get us" verses someone who does. For example, someone invites a friend at work to a community meal. The person enjoys meeting everyone, and decides to begin coming to our gatherings and hang out. But what if this person has never really thought of church or discipleship to Jesus differently? In fact, what if this person has expectations about the way the church should be structured that will be rapidly disappointed by our rag-tag group of friends? You might say, "Well, that person needs to be offended. It will happen sooner or later...better it happen sooner." That might be true, but is it a task as God's people to go around purposely offending everyone who thinks differently than us? It would sure seem that way sometimes.
There are other scenarios, but I think you get the picture. This passage is really about how we treat "the other". Are we more concerned about organizational purity or relational unity or, well, that we just like everybody that we hang out with? James says no, because as soon as we become too concerned with those sorts of things we lose the ability to love (or even tolerate) someone who thinks different or is different than us. A hard truth, but one James says we should watch out for. After all, if what is at stake is relating to those who are "rich in faith and...heirs of the kingdom," then it is not a truth to ignore.
posted by Mike Bishop at 5:14 PM
2 Comments:
Mike, this post is really great for me, because I actually have honored the "more honorable" in our group over the "less honorable." I will not go any further - don't want to name names and hurt someone's feelings. So thanks for bringing it up.
It also brings to my attention that I have been trying to like everyone in the group - trying to make everyone feel "affirmed." Is that even possible when we have 40 very different people? I think I am just going to try to relax a little more, let things happen without trying to force feelings or interactions with each and every person. And I will even allow others to not like me. Haha - that's a harder one...
Oops, I'm Carolyn.
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