GOT RELIGION?
James 1: 17-27

           It is said that there are two sure-fire ways to start a fight, or at least a “war of words”: bring up religion or politics. Both are, at times, controversial and steeped with emotion. Unless we know the individual or the group very well to whom we are speaking, we may know what “side” they are on and so, in order to avoid a conflict, we avoid these topics altogether. Since, however, we are in church, I want to call us to think and talk about religion.

           The very word “religion” is not easily defined--it can have different meanings for different people. Each person likely has a different definition of this concept we call “religion”. I will confess up front that I have a difficult time with the word “religion” being used to describe the Christian faith. In my mind (and this is my opinion), “religion” always seemed to emphasize works-righteousness, that our relationship with God was based upon what WE did rather than what God has done. To me, “religion” always meant there were rules that MUST be followed in order for one to be considered faithful. At the same time, there were also things that MUST NOT be done, lest the person risk being shamed or losing their place within the community of the faithful. For me, “religion” always seemed so constraining and not allowing people to experience and live in the abundance of God’s grace that is known in and through Jesus Christ.

           These, however, are not my only unease with the word religion. The unfortunate reality is that religion is something good created by God that human beings have taken and skewed into being something that is bad and even abusive—both to its followers and non-followers. If we look at human history, there have been countless atrocities that have been perpetrated in the name of “religion”. Religion was the driving force behind what would become the Holocaust. Religion was the driving force behind the Inquisition of the Renaissance, in which those accused of being heretics were purged from the Church. Religion was a driving factor behind the Crusades of the Middle Ages. The list goes on and on. Personally, I never want to be associated with something that portrays God in any way other than loving, just, and grace-ful.

           If we take a look at Scripture, though, we see that religion is not a bad thing! In fact, religion was intended to be, and still can be, a blessing to God and to human beings. However, to get that point, religion must be “pure and defiled” or “spotless” or “unsoiled” (depending upon the translation being used). What we see throughout the Letter of James, is an encouragement to the ancient and modern church to return religion to what God intends it to be. At the same time, James also defines religion as, not so much what people believe, but the way in which believers respond to the teachings of faith. In other words, James is focused on the APPLICATION aspect of faith/religion.

           As we begin our series on James, our passage from chapter 1 provides some “building blocks” for the pure religion that is a blessing to God. The first of these blocks is found in v. 21. There, the author encourages his listeners/readers to “humbly welcome the implanted word”. What is meant by that is to allow the (W)word of God to take root in us. The natural physical and psychological reaction of human beings is to reject anything “foreign” that tries to take root in us. That’s why we get sick—our bodies are fighting off the foreign invader. That’s also why it is difficult for us, at times, to accept new ideas, feelings, etc. The human body and mind is designed to protect itself. However, our encouragement is to open ourselves to the word and message God is trying to plant in our heart. This might mean looking at things from a new and (likely) different perspective. It might mean taking on new habits/attitudes and shedding other habits/attitudes. But, James reminds us, it is only the implanted word and message of God that has the power to change, transform, and save souls, churches, and the world! Did you hear that? It is only the word and message from God that has the power to save! Once that word and message is welcomed to be implanted, we can move toward a pure religion. Until then, though, our religion is of the world, and not of God.

           The second building block to pure religion that James speaks of is one that comes with much tension. We read in v. 22 the exhortation (that’s a fun word!) to “be doers of the word and not merely hearers”. In essence, act upon the word that has been implanted within you. For some, though, faith and works are polar opposites. There are those who want to place all the emphasis on faith and deeds, and vice versa. In fact, Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was so completely against the idea of works of faith that he went so far as to tear James out of his Bible. What some may not realize is that faith and works combined together form a powerful dynamic that is an unstoppable force. You give God even a few people whose faith is so clear and who act upon the word they have been given AND GOD CAN AND WILL ROCK THIS WORLD! I’m not one to pat ourselves on the back, but this idea of faith and works together forms the foundation of historic Methodism—it’s part of our understanding of the Christian faith.

           The message that James is trying to get across is that it is not enough to simply study the Bible and to know the stories. The challenge is to take the next step and to act upon those stories and instructions of faith. We are told that failing to do so is like looking at ourselves in a mirror and then forgetting what we look like; in essence, we forget who we are if we only the know stories. Ask any teacher, especially a math teacher or a language teacher, and they will tell you that it is only through practice that one becomes proficient in a subject area. The same can be true for faith. It is only through practicing our faith that we become proficient in it; only through practicing the word that they become part of who we are.

           By the same token, it is not enough to merely focus on works based upon one particular teaching. There is the veiled encouragement to also be “hearers” of the word. Hearing and studying the word on a regular basis provided the foundation for what we do and why we do it. Combing a knowledge of God’s word/message and a commitment to live that word is the next building block toward a religion that is pure and holy before God.

           Finally, we read, both at the beginning and the end of our passage, that true religion is one that is void of worldly habits, attitudes, and principles. We are invited to set ourselves apart from the things of this world, but at the same time remain a part of the world. This was important for Christians in James’ world because the church was under intense persecution. James provides for the church a voice of encouragement to allow faith to guide their lifestyle, rather than the world; all this in spite of the persecutions they were facing. If we go back to human reactions, we could probably say that the natural reaction would be to not do anything that would draw attention from those doing the persecutions. In fact, the church is invited to do just the opposite. This isn’t so that the church would be persecuted all the more, but so that the church might continue to DO the word and witness to the word in front of the world.

           If we consider all this, we could conclude that “pure religion” seems a quite lofty goal to attain. That it is. However, grace enables and empowers us to press toward God’s calling. We have also the promise and assurance that where we fall short, God’s grace makes up the difference. God has called us to be God’s holy people in the world, striving toward “pure religion” in service and devotion to God and one another. May God’s grace go with us that we might strive toward this goal and, in all things, give glory and honor to God. AMEN.

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