Two thoughts on the reading from James. First, I was reminded of the people we
met in Ghana as I read: “Did
not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of
the Kingdom that he promised to those who love
him?” I’ve
mentioned this before in updates, homilies and at our slideshow, but it was
remarkable meeting people who were materially poor yet rich in faith. This verse describes my experience in
Ghana perfectly.
Second,
James reminds us of the Golden Rule—to love your neighbor as yourself. Someone once asked Jesus who his
neighbor was. Jesus responded with
the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The true neighbor was not someone known or nearby—he was a stranger from
a foreign land.
We
must remember that our neighbors aren’t simply those we live by or are
acquaintances with. We have men
and women in our city, state and world who need true neighbors—the poor.
“The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Do you?
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