Faith without works is dead. That is the message of this Sunday’s second reading. We live in a world where most Christians believe that all they need to be a good Christian is to have faith.
Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Faith is a critical part of our religious and spiritual walk. However, if you have faith only then you are missing the most critical part. Saint James tells us that faith comes through our works.
Without the work we do to help those around us, our faith is stagnated and dead. One of the great messages of Jesus was to help those in most need around us. We are called to help the homeless, the orphan, the widow, and the marginalized.
When we abandon those works, we show that we have little or no faith in the teachings of Jesus. It is time for the church to stop trying to set up an earthly kingdom for Jesus and to start following his teachings. It is time we work to help others and to be a force for good in our world.
If the church focused on work that helps the communities we live in, then we would see a dramatic decrease in homelessness, poverty, and hunger. We would see many people abandon their hatred and anger and start showing love to one another.
Now is the time to make this change. Won’t you join us?
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer