Thought for the day – Wednesday 13 May

Thought for the day - Wednesday 13 May
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May 13, 2020
in Minister's Daily Message
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Dear All
I wonder what your answer would be if you were asked the simple question, ‘are you religious?’. Pressed further, and depending on your first answer, what would you say if asked, ‘what makes you religious?’. What would you say? It’s quite rare for someone to be so direct in asking such questions but nonetheless, they are pertinent questions. From time to time we might even ask ourselves the same questions and what it is that makes us the kind of people we are. Self-reflection.
Not being able to get out much these days I wonder if you bother to shave every day, the men, and put on your makeup, the women, and for those who do both, well, that’s another matter isn’t it? My point here is that you’ll probably have had a good look at your beautiful self in the mirror at some point in the day.
Pass any reflective shop window and you’ll possibly, no, most definitely, have a quick glance at yourself. Oh, how I miss my magic vestry mirror. Those who have gazed into it will know what I’m talking about, those who haven’t, are invited to witness its ‘magical powers’ when it can make that spare tyre we previously had, which has now become a full set, ‘disappear’ completely.
James in his letter speaks about a mirror. We have to remember, however, the kind of mirror he was talking about was most likely one of highly polished bronze, which even at its reflective best was still not ‘crystal clear’. It would have been, good enough though, to let you see yourself reasonably well.
The authorship of the letter is debated and which James wrote it is in question, and there are different schools of thought. Whichever James it was he was quite clear about his intentions and purpose in writing. When he wrote he never for one nanosecond thought he was writing for inclusion in any bible. For contextual purposes, he was writing to scattered Jewish Christians in very practical everyday terms and language. Hearing and doing was his main focus.
Christianity was a very new religion and it evolved over many years from its roots in Judaism to what we think and know today. It was certainly not a quick process as it developed into an entirely different religion altogether.
We still speak today of the Judaeo Christian tradition, as we share the same books of the Old Testament with our Jewish brothers and sisters. Religious divergence is clearly evident, however, in the writings of the New Testament. The letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament also contains much and very obvious Jewish thought and the title of the letter is self-explanatory.
Even if one were not a Christian, perhaps even an atheist, what James wrote, or much of it, at any rate, could easily apply. The message of don’t just be a theorist but a practitioner, a doer not just a talker, is what he’s really on about and in every religion and none these principles are pretty much the same. Real religious folk are not just concerned with creed but also with, and no less importantly, deed. Faith without works is dead.
I’m just about to finish writing now and I’m going to ‘beautify’ myself at the bathroom mirror. It’ll take me some time and certainly some imagination but I’m going to give it a go anyhow. If you’ve just read James’ letter, then you’ve also been looking into a mirror, a very different and more revealing mirror indeed.
Today I ask you to think/meditate on these things.
God bless you,

Jim

JBoag@churchofscotland.org.uk

JAMES 1: 19-27

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

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