The Church of England in its wisdom sets lessons for every Sunday. Actually, it is not such a bad idea and it prevents vicars from just cherry-picking those bits of the bible they like. I have to say, though, sometimes the lessons chosen are very difficult and make me sigh.
But not at the moment!!
At the time of writing, one of the lessons selected for each Sunday is from the book of James. It is a too little-known gem. It only has five chapters and is tucked away near the end of the New Testament. It is the most practical of letters about how we can live good lives.
This week’s chosen section is all about the dangers of the tongue: it can do so much good – but also so much harm. James uses a thought-provoking analogy: that of a small rudder on a large ship. It can be used to turn into the safety of the open sea – or to head it for the rocks.
There are a lot of things that go into making a community flourish – and the same is true of communities that are divided. One is how we speak to one another and also how we speak about one another. How we use our tongue, what we say and how we say it, affects others around us. James changes the analogy: “it only takes a spark to set off a forest fire.” A lot is written about many of our modern communication systems and their tendency to encourage inflammatory words.
One of the things almost all religious beliefs encourage you to do at the end of the day is to reflect back on it. To be honest, I am not as disciplined about that as I should be. But when I do try it, it is instructive to think both how I have spoken to people and about them. Words of care, words of encouragement and words of forgiveness can make a real difference – they can build up individuals and communities. Conversely, harsh, judgemental, negative words can pull down and destroy people and communities.
So, a phrase we don’t hear often now, “watch your tongue” has perhaps much to commend it and, thanks to James’ letter, I am trying to focus on that.
One final thought about this letter: some Christians don’t like it because it says little about faith, but a lot about good works. In theology, though, the two are linked: it is understood that faith in a loving God who loves us and forgives us, gives the impetus to trying to be more loving ourselves. And I think most of us would understand it is love, rather than a series of legal restrictions, that can transform us.
Faith and good works cannot be taken separately. I shall leave the last word to James: “Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.”
Peter