Proper 23 B - James 2:1-7 - Lessons from the Poor

" Having grown up poor, I resented the deference paid to the rich. It did not matter whether their opinions had any merit. Their wealth made their opinions more valued than the opinions of others... I found it paticularily upsetting when this deference occurred in the church.

My father, an independent electrical contractor in Mexico, made a modest living and actively participated in our local Methodist church. When the congregation undertook the rebuilding of the sanctuary, he offered several suggestions based on vast experience. But the building committee chose to listen to the suggestions of prominent church members who were wealthy but who had no experience with construction.

I remember how upset I was, and Dad had a conversation with me. He asked that I not forget the experience and hoped that some day I would be in a better financial situation than he. He also cautioned me to remember how it felt to be ignored and set aside because of social status.

These verses from James bring back memories of my father's talk with me about how we choose to imitate prominent people rather than learning from God, how the Mexican revolution produced not new leaders but different oppressors. The poor, once in power, imitated the oppressors... "

The Upper Room Disciplines 2003; Upper Room Books; Nashville TN; www.upperroom.org.