Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
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. - James 1:17-27
"He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." (James 1:18) The language of birth still seems strange me to be applied to someone who is in his mid-50s. I am strongly tempted to repeat the words of Nicodemus in the gospel of John, “How can someone be born when they are old?” (John 3:4) But James says it here, and then again, "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (James 1:21)
I think his point here is that something has to completely die in order to make way for the new life that Jesus offers. Just before this, he says, "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent." (James 1:20-21a) We seem to try to hold on to two things at once: what we want to do and what God is trying to do. We see that Jesus is offering something that we want, but we don't want to give up what we have "obtained" (James calls it moral filth and evil) and we don't want to give up the way that we have obtained it ("human anger").
Why is it so hard to take this "good and perfect gift"? We don't trust. New birth means new chances but it also means giving up what we've already got. As Rich Mullins once said, "Surrender don't come natural to me/I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want/Than to take what You give that I need." (Hold Me Jesus)
What if babies got to vote on birth? They might decide that the womb is a better bet. I mean its warm, there's food, medical care and transportation with shock absorbers
What if caterpillars got to vote on metamorphosis? They might decide that the chrysalis is a better bet. I mean they are living on some plant leaves pre-selected for its ability for them to chomp down on.
What if, in each case, they chose the selfish existence of the first birth and never moved on? To reach who God intended for us to be means leaving the first birth behind, dying to that sub-existence, that subsistence. As Goethe said, "And so long as you haven’t experienced this: to die and so to grow, you are only a troubled guest on the dark earth. (The Holy Longing, Goethe) We are so enamored with the wonders of our temporary accommodation and the little toys we have accumulated and the small imaginations that we have conjured up in our minds that we neglect what God has planned for us. I wonder what it is?
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