Living Faith

British Biblical scholar N.T. Wright tells about one of his most embarrassing moments in church. It was Easter Sunday morning. He had gotten to the church early, but not early enough. There was a long line out the door, and it wasn’t moving. He was just thinking what to do – clearly the church was packed – when a familiar voice greeted him. He turned around and saw an acquaintance, a senior and a distinguished gentleman. He was proud to have been recognized and singled out in the crowd.

Then, the gentleman leaned in and said in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, “Come with me.” They made their way through the crowd, past the line to an usher. ‘I am Lord Smith’ (not his real surname) he said to the usher, ‘I would be grateful if you could find my friend and myself somewhere to sit.’

Before he had time to think, they were escorted to the front of the church, where they were given excellent seats. But, says, N.T. Wright, he didn’t enjoy the service because he couldn’t stop thinking about James 2.

We know that how we look effects how we are treated in the world. If you want to buy a car, you leave the jewelry at home and dress casually. If you want to avoid being chosen for a jury, you wear a smart suit and take your briefcase with you.

And every now and then, how we look effects how we treat one another in the church. James knows that there have been whispers about visitors to the church. “You really have to come meet, so and so, he is such and such and she is so and so” and the blanks were filled in with jobs, relatives, honors, accolades, tales of grandeur. And every now and then, there were whispers like this, “Do you know who that is? Came in alone. Really quiet.” “Did anyone see what kind of car?” “No car, think she’s looking for assistance?” “Wonder why he’s here?” OK, in the first century, no one was whispering about what kind of car visitors drove, but whispers like that still reverberate in the church today. Sometimes today concern for safety is at the root of the exchange, and when that is the motivation, it is understandable in our day and age. But, our welcome to all is to be the same.

James is very clear: the holy place is not like the market place (Barclay). And often, the poor in the world are rich in faith, and they are heirs of the Kingdom of God. If anyone should be treated preferentially in church, it is the poor who come in their shabby clothes. And if they come in thread-bare clothes and don’t have enough food, having faith requires the community to care for their practical needs as well as their spiritual needs. The law of God is that we shall love our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot pick and choose who we will love with acceptance and tolerance.

The holy place is where we learn how to love one another, to treat one another without partiality. The word for community is derived from com – meaning with or together; moin – to change, go, or move; and unis – meaning oneness, union. Living faith is living in community – to move together in oneness.

When people say they are spiritual but not religious, they are missing the point of going to church. They don’t understand the purpose of going to church. The main goal of coming to church is not our individual salvation. We don’t come here so that when we will go to heaven when we die. We come to church to learn and practice how we live because we have faith. Church is about community. We come here to learn to live as God intended us to live. We come here to be unified as the Body of Christ in the world.

No special seat for the Lord or Lady and no blind eye to the needs of one another at this Table, for this is the holy place. Here, all are welcome.