Walk On By

 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ~James 2:16

Advent Blog; Day 16

Things seem to work when you collaborate. I had a little chat with Jane, a new lady in our fellowship who helps out at the church bookshop where I am currently writing this. I do the till and she does the coffees. At least one of us has the skill base for the activity we're engaged in!

I was pleased with my blog on homelessness and so decided to ask again if someone else had an idea for an angle. Jane, it seems is a practical soul. She has been in the church 5 minutes and is already helping with the food bank and book shop. I cant tell you what Jane suggested I look at because it is not a subject I can condense into an easy heading, but broadly speaking, I sense it is about helping people.
                                                         

James makes a good point. I am not so callous as to walk past a beggar or a big issue seller and, when asked if I would care to partake in some kind of financial exchange say to them "no" and then say, "But God bless you though!"

No, I am a decent sort of a hypocrite. If I know I am being selfish, despite going on about helping others, I have the decency not to pretend I am acting in a caring way.

If I was genuinely praying a blessing on them, out loud, when I had the means to help but not the willingness to do so, James says this is an anathema. "How can this be?" I feel him saying. James, thank God for him, is about integrity, about synonymity between words and actions. For James to believe is to act. Anyone want to argue with that?

I will put on my best Jennifer Aniston voice now (use your imagination, if you can fight the urge to be violently sick) and say "Here comes the Christmas part". What do we think God was doing at Christmas. Jesus' arrival was about synonymity between words and actions. For God there is no distinction between speaking and acting. We are reminded

God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfil?

Numbers 23:19

 

 

If you scale down what was occurring in that stable you effectively have God not simply saying "bless you" but rolling his metaphorical sleeves up and getting stuck in. Without Christmas he is simply walking off into the distance, leaving us to wallow in our sin, spouting out casually over his shoulder as he goes, "Bless you", or, in other words, "good luck with that, pal". Another part of the scriptures reminds us, which we often use when we are speaking to a preacher whose words seem to have fallen on deaf ears or to console those speakers who have not done very well,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

 

God made the world in the beginning by speech. He spoke and there was light. Gods words are as good and true as God himself. So he couldn't have promised a saviour and not come himself. As soon as he spoke it was as good as done. We see time through our own eyes. Somewhere between our promises and their fulfilment something can change. My ex-wife laughed at the idea that she should have to fulfil a promise she made at 19, when she didn't know any better. I cant say I blame her. But Gods understanding is complete and his will is unassailable., so when he says it he does it. His compassion and love mean his humility and incarnation and nothing less. God does not stand by on the sidelines, waiting to see if we will screw up. God puts on a shirt and joins the game.

 

 

We need to be a little more like God. Its a tall order, I know, but lets "keep Christmas all year round", help where we can, act when we are moved and avoid all pretense of being good. One of the things that came up in my chat with Jane was that words are mostly wasted where there is great need. You have to address the need. I am sure, for God, the words of the gospel are never separated from the compassion and action of the Gospel. Unless our words and actions are one, there is no gospel. We, like Jesus, our mentor, must roll up our sleeves. Love must sound like love. Love must look like love. Love must feel like love. And, in the words of the Muppets Christmas Carol, you know....

 

"Wherever you find love it feels like Christmas"