Thursday 17 February 2022

Today is Thursday the 17th of February, in the sixth week of Ordinary time.
Paul Zach, with the Porter's Gate sings 'The Greatest Commandment'.

Today's reading is from the letter to James.
James 2:1-9
My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism 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 dishonoured 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? You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Take some time to imagine the two people described in this passage: First, the rich person, 'with gold rings and in fine clothes'...
How do you imagine these clothes and rings? What colour are they? What shape? What is the material like? The texture? How do you feel having their presence in the room you find yourself in? Perhaps this could be your church?

Next, imagine the poor person described, in 'dirty clothes'...
What do they look like? How do they walk? Talk? What stirs in you as they enter?

As you listen to the reading again, notice what is said about both the rich and the poor...
"You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'" How might you move closer towards "doing well" today? Ask God for help with this now, speaking as one friend speaks to another.


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.