We have been studying the book of James recently in my Sunday School class. Reading James isn't super fun. It's a bit like looking at yourself in a mirror under blazing fluorescent lights. Now, I can look at myself in a mirror in a Mexican restaurant any time. In the soft glow of the faux candelabras, I look three shades darker, ten pounds lighter, and fifteen years younger. I walk out feeling pretty good about myself, despite the fact that in the span of 60 minutes, I inhaled enough calories to feed a small country for a week. Leaving the restaurant, I go on into a super-warehouse store flooded with light. Pausing for a much-needed bio break, I glance at myself in the brightly lit mirror and I am horrified at what I see! My face is a pale lunar landscape of craters and mountains. There is a party favor protruding from each of my nostrils, and my belly-button is unflatteringly molded by my now too-small large polo shirt.
The book of James is a lot like that brightly-lit mirror. In fact, James himself compares the Bible to a mirror as he explains what Christians ought to look like. As I read James, my carefully built self-delusions crumble one-by-one. One item James speaks out on at length is my tongue. He compares it to a carelessly-handled flame that can burn down a whole forest (Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.. James 3:5-6).
As I read about the untamed tongue I am reminded of a horrific series of events that unfolded before our eyes just a few years ago. A popular talk show producer decided it would be a great idea to have a special "secret admirer" segment on the show. The host described the depth of the secret admirer's affection while an anxious and excited young man waited on stage to be introduced. When the fateful moment came, the young man was horrified to learn that his admirer was another man! Tragically, just a short time later, driven by rage and shame, the young man killed his admirer.
In stark contrast to that ill-advised attempt to entertain America, stands the testimony of a little white-haired man in Sydney, Australia. In gratitude to Jesus, who saved him from his wretched life of immorality, he vowed to tell at least ten people a day how to receive forgiveness for their sins. He did this for decades without any idea whether his words had any impact at all, or were just falling on deaf ears. Only days before his death did the little man learn that his words had influenced at least 100,000 people, world-wide.
What kind of fire will I start with my tongue / text / tweet today?
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