Inspired by James 2:1-9. One day while reading this passage, a
thought occurred to me and I decided to ponder the reasons on why should we be
impartial, other than because the Bible explicitly says so. This teaching after
all is not only found in Christianity, but a virtue lauded throughout the world.
I believe that, while it is good to explore in-depth the cultures and actions
that time, Scripture must be relevant in today’s society to reach out to its
people.
I will start off
with the first point: the poor are more receptive towards God. This may sound
very “spiritualy” but it also contains a rational dimension to it. Back when my
family was of the low income class (not that we are well-to-do now mind; but at
least better off than those days), life was simpler then. The most important
were the basic necessities: food for the day, a roof over our heads, and basic
education. Those days, luxury was crossing over the bridge near our flat to eat
packet nasi lemak beside a monsoon drain. Image, peer politics, the race to
keep up with the latest developments…all of them took the back seat in the face
of daily needs. On several occasions my mum told me at times she wondered how
she would be able to secure the next meal on the table; during those moments she
sought God, who had one way or another provided for us.
From my
childhood experience, there was little stopping us from trusting our lives in
God’s hands. Life was tougher, but there were no distractions to complicate the
path. When we are poor, it does not cost us to believe in Him who will provide
a better tomorrow. To sum it up, the poor have nothing; so nothing stops them from
coming to God.
The rich are burdened however by the cares of
the world. Often they worry about maintaining their wealth and image. They are
as seeds that grow amongst the thorns (Luke 8:7). To be
honest, I cannot wholly fault them: they live their lives in close scrutiny by
the people. The world would hardly remember (or even care) if some street person
commits robbery in a secluded village, but one comment from a reputed person
may make it to the next morning’s headlines. Once a person has something they
value, it is most difficult for them to part with it, especially considering the
amount of time they invested: laying the foundation one block at a time; and
that wall can easily be broken into pieces in a single blow. Thus the rich are
often caught up by their worldly affairs.
Many of us I garner (at least in where I live),
do not enjoy politics, least of all when we are affected but not affecting it.
Yet that is exactly what we will be practicing in Church should we become
partial. We make the Church vulnerable to worldly and human influences. The prominent
can thus bend the will of the Church, as those in power are wont to do, perhaps
even overriding what is good. A whisper in the “right” ear and they will be
able to receive favour for their own gain. Justice will thus be overwritten, as
the perpetrator pulls the strings behind the curtains of the Church.
In this world we live in, the majority of its
inhabitants belong in the poor category, while only a handful of people sit at
the top. There are more people starving on the streets than there are those living
in luxurious mansions. By attending only the rich, we are neglecting the needs
and salvation of the masses for the sake of the few, so to speak.
By applying bias scales between the rich and poor, we are also
indirectly sending out a message to the others, that it is permissible to do
so. Not only do we compromise our integrity, but we will also mislead others to
do the same. ‘It takes only one rotten apple to
spoil the entire basket’. And, as Jesus said of those found guilty, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around
his neck and he were cast into the sea” (Luke
17:2).
One major virtue of the Church is its poverty. We recognise and
acknowledge our greatest worldly treasures are no more than dust in the
presence of the King. What we gathered in life, we will not be able to carry it
forth into the afterlife. As such, we are all called to live a life of
moderation and sharing, as the Church first did in Acts
2:44-45. By displaying this characteristic, we set an example for the
well-to-do, a reminder that all their blessings come from God; and as one
family in God, are called not only to share with each other their worldly
blessings but their lives as well. The call to poverty is, after all, one of
the main attractions of the Church, contradictory as it sounds.
Even as I list
all this reasons – and there are still many others to be found in the sea –all
will hold no meaning if it does not come into practice. And let’s face it:
being impartial is not something we can immediately become in a day. It is
human nature to look with different eyes the wealthy man dressed in a suit and
the dirty naked beggar on the streets, just as choosing between freshly baked
buns or stale bread. This Lenten season – a time
of fasting, prayer and almsgiving – is an appropriate time to build up our
character, and to see everyone as how our Lord sees them: as a precious child
of the Father.
