"Words Count"
Faith in action
Sermon Preached by
The Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Text: James 2:17-26
James 1:19 says, “Everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.” Amen.
In the early days of the computer and e-mail, I don't know about you, but I made some really terrible mistakes. I have subsequently made more, but I remember one in particular. One day I received a rather unpleasant e-mail from someone sponsoring an organization with which I did not agree. Feeling upset that the e-mail contained an implicit condemnation of my church, and me in particular, I decided to reply immediately. I responded in the way you often do when your heart is still racing, adrenaline is still pumping and anger is pounding in your eyes. Then I stopped for a moment, wondering if it was wise to respond, and my little finger hit the “send” button. Too late!
How many of you have done that? You can't get it back once it has gone. And no matter if you send a note of retraction, or try to smooth things out by a second e-mail, that first one is the one that is remembered! In this day of instant communication a quick response to something can be absolutely devastating because we react immediately, rather than pausing.
Hundreds of years ago, Abraham Lincoln said, quite sensibly, that if you are going to send a letter of anger, sleep on it for at least two nights. You will probably find you will end up destroying it rather than sending it. Anger, you see, is a visceral response. It is more often than not immediate, and if you have already written angry words on paper or in an electronic message and sent it, there is no going back.
Emily Dickinson wrote, “A word is dead when it is said, they say. I say it just begins to live that day.”
In other words, a word spoken or written in anger has impact, not only immediately, but days, weeks and months down the road.
In a children's story, I show just how important words are and how it is impossible to take them back using a tube of toothpaste. I explain, “This toothpaste is like a word,” and squeeze it on to a piece of paper. Then I ask the children to put the toothpaste back in the tube. It can't be done! Once a word is spoken or written, it is out.
No one knew that more than the writer of the Book of James. It is a fascinating book because it has been deemed to be, as Martin Luther said, “a book of straw” by many writers over the years. Some early Christian writers suggested it shouldn't even have been in the Bible at all. Yet the Book of James has much to commend it, and it contains some real pearls of wisdom.
James was probably the brother of Jesus, although some scholars have argued that it was pseudononymous, in other words, written by somebody else. Most evidence today suggests it was written by Jesus' brother, James. It was probably written very early, around AD 50, to a church suffering trials and tribulations.
James wanted to show that the Christian life was something that needed to be lived; people needed to be passionate about it. It was not just a series of words or doctrines. In the face of trial and tribulation, people of faith should live out that faith. He was concerned about a growing sense of libertarianism within the church, and that all that mattered was that you said you had faith, no matter what you did. James said, “No! There are constraints to liberty!” One was that people's words and deeds went together; that they lived the Christian life and didn't just speak the Christian faith.
One thing that concerned him the most was the favouritism that divided the church. Often, those who were favoured were the rich, the famous and those who had all the right words to say. He was concerned that, by having this level of favouritism, the church itself would come to a state of decline.
I have been watching this Paris Hilton thing. You are all watching it. Everyone I talk to says, “Oh no, I'm not interested in that at all! I never watch what is going on. I didn't listen to her lawyer. I didn't see her cry.” Of course people are watching it! It is on everyone's radar right now. I must admit, I am not particularly interested in it, except that it reveals something about our culture, does it not? There are people dying in Iraq, with bombs exploding every day. Our troops are in Afghanistan, children are being shot in our city and the lead news stories are often of a weeping Paris Hilton. I mean, come on!
We have a star-studded society. This sense of favouritism, with great personalities superseding the big issues of the day, is a sign. This is what concerned James. What matters is not elevating certain individuals, but living out the Christian faith on a day-by-day basis.
James said something very profound that really has an impact on the way we raise our children and how our society moves forward. He said, “I want you to be slow to speak.” But first he said, “I want you to be swift to listen.” What did he mean by that? James, as we know, was a good Jew like Jesus. He knew his Bible. There is a wonderful passage in Psalm 119:11 about young people: “How can a young man keep his way pure by living according to your word? I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands, for I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin.”
The writer of the Psalms understood what is all the way through the Torah - first five books of the Old Testament. One should meditate on the law with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. In other words, to live a good life - a righteous and proper life - one must first be quick to listen. Listening to the word of God allows it to rest in one's heart, and it is the greatest protection against the problems of the world.
I liken it to listening to good music. Great musicians learn by listening to good music. As one of our choir's soloists rightly said, “You can learn from bad music how not to do it.” But you want to listen to what is good in order to emulate it.
Can you imagine if you were an alien who listened to out-takes of Canadian Idol and thought that was how good human music sounded? All those who failed and made those extraordinarily awful sounds would determine your conception of good music. You would think that was normative, rather than hearing and emulating what is truly good.
James said to emulate the good - the word of God - first. Then you will know what the truth is and your life will be protected accordingly. That is one of the great promises that baptismal families make: to raise their child in the Christian faith, being quick to listen to God's word. If there is a great need in our world, our society and, most of all, our churches, it is to be swift to hear the word of God.
James also said, “You must be slow to speak.” The word used for “speak” suggests “wrath” or “anger.” He doesn't mean you should be slow to speak the word of truth. You should be quick to defend the faith, but slow in the way you express your anger. Looking at a passage from Ecclesiastes, Chapter five, you can see where James got it from:
Do not be quick with your mouth. Do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God who is in heaven, and you are on earth. Let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. And when you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for He has no pleasure with fools. Fulfill your vow.
Then he says something quite remarkable: “Why would God be angry, and why would he destroy the work of your hands? Stand in awe of God and be slow to speak.”
I love what Mark Twain once said: “When you are angry, count to five. When you are very angry, swear.” That was his advice - I am not advocating that one! Thomas Jefferson said, “When you are angry, count to ten. When you are very angry, count to one hundred.” That is better advice. In other words, take a step back and pause before you declare what you are feeling.
There is much evil done in the world of people who speak too quickly. One of the things that exacerbates the problem of quick speech these days is technology. You get a telephone call and answer it immediately. You enter into a conversation unprepared for it. You do not often think about the consequences of what you are saying because you are driven by a desire to respond.
It is the same when an e-mail comes in. A Blackberry is there before your very eyes as you sit in a taxi, and you feel this urge to respond. The problem with all this is the lack of reflection, thought, modesty and self-examination. In the realm of politics and conflicts between nations, things are often said in anger or without forethought because of the media's demand for immediate responses, causing controversy. There is wisdom in what James said: “Be slow to speak and reflect on what God would have you say before you say it.”
The last thing James said is the key: “With the words you do speak, there must also come the deeds.” What good is it if you say something but your life doesn't go along with it? This was his immediate concern.
The Hebrew word for “word” is dabar, which literally means, “not only to speak, but to carry your activity behind it.” This was captured in the New Testament when the writer of John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh.” Notice, the Word is not something detached; it is linked to Jesus, who becomes the combination of word and deed. In him we see the Word of God enacted and carried out.
More than an example, we have the very presence of the Word in the flesh to follow. Bringing together word and deed is absolutely critical in a world with quick images and quick decisions. When people look at us, they see if our behaviour is hateful or kind, peaceful or angry, just or rude. People make judgments on the Christian faith by what they see in us.
Whether that is right or wrong, it is the reality. Like James, we should learn that faith and deeds go together. Although the Apostle Paul wrote about “justification by faith,” there is no dichotomy here. I don't believe James was written as a correction to Paul's writings. In fact, I think James was written before Paul. I think both James and Paul understood the need for faith combined with deeds.
The new life in Christ through faith must result in a greater sense of love, justice and the works of righteousness. When we do speak, we should always speak to one another with a word of encouragement, exaltation or support.
A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh is one of my favourites of all time. There is a lovely moment when Winnie the Pooh is out in the Hundred Acre Woods at exactly 11:30 in the morning, and he decides to drop in and see one of his friends. He says, “Should I see Tigger, because he is a great friend?” He decides, “No. Tigger jumps an awful lot! I don't think that would be a good idea.” Then he thinks maybe he should see Owl. But no, “Owl talks too much! He uses way too many long words!” (I always thought Owl could be a preacher. He just goes on and on!) Then he says, “I think I will visit Rabbit. Rabbit always has a word of encouragement. Rabbit always says it is time to go and have a meal.” So Winnie goes and visits Rabbit, because Rabbit speaks a word of encouragement.
We live in a world with enough darn anger! We've got enough hatred, quick speech, thoughtless comments and inane statements. What we need is encouragement, thought and reflection on the word of God. It is not just a matter of what you say; your deeds must encourage as well.
I will leave you with a piece by Dorothy Lunn.
I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and you discussed my hunger. Thank you!
I was in prison, and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar to pray for my release. Thank you!
I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance. Thank you!
I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your own health. Thank you!
I was homeless, and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God. Thank you!
I was lonely, and you left me alone to go and pray for me. Thank you!
You seem so holy, so close to God, but I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.
So, where have your prayers gone?
What have you done?
What does it profit to page through this Book of Prayers when the rest of the world is crying for help?
My friends, faith and deeds should go hand in hand.
This is a verbatim transcription of the original sermon.