And now, a word from James...

"Come now you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like a fire."

The stinging words of the author of the Letter of James from the New Testament. Appropriate for this day and this time? Sounds a little harsh. Is it more biblical justification that the rich are to be despised, that their wealth is a sinful shackle around their fat necks that can only be thrown off by relieving them of their riches and - what? Use them to enrich others? What good would that do?

The Letter of James, written to an unknown audience (perhaps not even a "letter" at all), was not considered part of the Church canon until the fourth century. Martin Luther tried to get rid of it because the author apparently does not believe in justification by faith alone, as did he and other reformers after him. So, why should we even consider it after all this time and controversy? Especially since it speaks with such class hatred of the rich?

It does seem that James is speaking to, comforting, a group of poor people, as alluded to later in the same passage, so it is understandable that he may point out the folly of riches to those who do not possess them. Pointing out the folly of placing one's hope in riches (not necessarily condemning rich people) is a common theme of the New Testament, one spoken to by Jesus himself on many occasions. Riches, material things, easily become a place of security, a place where we run for solace and protection against the inherent unfairness and confusion of life. Worried about recession and a crashing stock market? What easier way to feel better than to look in that hefty savings account, or the equity in the residence, or the collection of anything we've stored up for it's perceived value. Easy to look there first, and to think that when all else fails, I've got my stuff. Where is God in that?

The real message, in my humble opinion, is that things hold nothing for me in the way of salvation or comfort. Things do rot and rust. And when it comes right down to it, when there is nothing left but me versus death, the ultimate recession, what really matters? I never want to have God's love for me blotted out by the glow of a plasma screen television, or feel so connected to my SUV that I can't connect with another person, one who is most assuredly hurting in some way too, probably more than I am. None of this is easy for me, but it is worth trying.