“Don’t Bury Your Faith” “
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:26 (NIV)
“Oh, you go to the church with the big cemetery beside of it.” Growing up, that was one way in which people identified the location of my home church in Winterville. Although true and perhaps helpful, I preferred to refer to Reedy Branch as, “The one behind Pitt Community College.” Was I ashamed of the adjacent acreage dotted with monuments of granite and in some cases brick? No, but I did not necessarily wish for the place I went to worship, fellowship, play, etc. to be known primarily for its field devoted to the deceased. There was more to our church than the cemetery. We had a well-respected pastor, a couple of hundred in worship each week, a fifteen-passenger van, Friday night softball, and all of the “signs” of a thriving/healthy congregation. We may have had a cemetery, but our church had nothing in common with its closest “neighbors.” Or did we? Do any of us?
It is a question worthy of our consideration and one with which the epistle known as “James” invites us to wrestle. James, known amongst scholars as a “General Epistle,” is a practical handbook for the Christian life addressing a range of subjects related to the living out of personal faith. Unlike the writings of Paul, James is addressed not to a specific congregation, but rather to Christians found in multiple locations (hence its identification with the “General Epistles”). Although spread out beyond the mother church in Jerusalem, James knew Christians far and wide had similar needs, struggles, and issues through which they would navigate. Chapter two introduces readers to a matter which appears to have become divisive for some of the early Christians: the relationship between faith and works.
The scenario reminds me of the age-old question, “Which came first the chicken or the egg?” Of course, that can be debated for days on end, but James was and is much more “cut and dry” when addressing those who seem to have elevated faith above works. James may have been quoting the actual voices of some within the faith community or developed hypothetical situations in which people “claimed” to possess faith. Now, before we get too excited presuming James to have been propagating a works-based righteousness, we must consider both what he said and did not say. First, James made no claim that works were or are capable of saving a person. Unlike the buildup of karma advocated for in the Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), faith for James was very much the starting point of a relationship with God.
For James’ first readers, faith was that which they professed and something for which they held some level of personal pride. “We hold onto a relationship with God and it matters to us” seems to have been their logic. For this, James congratulated them and, at the same time, questioned the difference which it was making in their lives. On the opposite side of the argument were those who proclaimed to be doing good things, but what was the basis for such activity? After all, people can do nice things within the world without necessarily having a relationship with God. At this point, James connected the two and said that faith and works are not an either/or proposition, but rather a part of the same pursuit. However, James does draw a strong conclusion for those who wish to talk about faith as being something which they possess, but with which they fail to do anything. “Faith by itself is dead without an outflow of good deeds which prove the validity of one’s faith” (author’s paraphrase).
The idea of faith being dead is far from pleasant and no doubt served as a wake-up call for James’ readers just as it does for us today. I grew up in a Christian home, attended church on every occasion, and graduated from a Christian school. I remember hearing messages about faith, belief, being saved, etc. and, in some instances, they were divorced from the practical side of being a Christian. I have heard people suggest that overemphasis upon works leads to what some refer to as a ”Social Gospel.” However, James insists that you and I do not have to choose one over the other. In fact, he emphasizes one cannot possibly exist without the other. In verse 18, James told his readers, “I will show you my faith through what I do.” He was not implying work your way into salvation, but rather to prove externally the changes which God was/is making on the inside.
As we so often hear it said, “Actions speak louder than words” and that is especially true for those of us who, like the first-century believers, claim to have faith. If you and I possess faith, may we let it show. People do not wish to hear theological propositions and debates, they long for something that is real, something life transforming. For this to happen, we must have a living faith. Cemeteries serve as a hallowed ground for commemorating the lives of those whom we know, love, and cherish, but may they not become the residence for our faith.
Together in the Journey,
The Reverend Kelley Smart