9-11 Fifteen Years On: Wisdom from above

James 3
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
  
The letter of James presents sets of two. Rich and poor. Faith and deeds. Words of blessings and words of cursing. Wisdom from below and wisdom from above. Each pair relates to its partner in some way. We are called to see the rich and the poor as equal. It is deeds that prove our faith. Words of blessing are greater than words of cursing. The wisdom from above and the wisdom from below are not equal.  They originate from separate sources. The wisdom from below is the wisdom of humanity. The wisdom from above is the wisdom of God.

How do we receive this wisdom from above? How can the wisdom of God be a part of our narrative? James 1:5 says this, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” So we receive the wisdom of God from God.  Wisdom is given to us if we ask. God gives generously when we ask. God gives without finding fault. 

The goal of human wisdom is self-gain. The goal of the wisdom of God is peace. The peace of God comes through Jesus Christ. In his letter to the church at Corinth Paul wrote this about the wisdom that comes from above:

1 Corinthians 1

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

This November, everyone reading this will make a choice. Either you will choose to vote or you will make the choice to not vote. This November there will be individuals and ideas that are put in power, and there will be individuals and ideas that are removed from power. To borrow JD’s phrase, “it matters who you line up behind.” It matters who you choose to speak for you. This decisions you make should absolutely be grounded on how you understand the Scriptures. Your choices should be founded upon your understanding of the wisdom of God.

However we must also remember that in November there will still only be ONE church. ONE body, ONE Spirit, and ONE Lord of all. To those who follow Jesus we are called to reject favoritism, to show our faith through our deeds, to speak words of blessing, and to seek the wisdom of God.

We come to Jesus for this wisdom. We come to Jesus for redemption. We come to Jesus so that we may be peacemakers who sow in peace and reap in righteousness.

--Serving Him alongside all of you, just from further away
 --Jesse Letourneau

All Scriptures NIV taken from blueletterbible.org

9-11 Fifteeen Years On

Some brief reflections on today. More to come.

Fifteen years ago today, I was awakened by mom saying, you need to watch this.  In the living room the television was tuned to NBC’s the Today show, and a smoking image of the Twin Towers was being broadcast live from the New York skyline to my home in Long Beach, California. It took me a moment to take it all in. The news reporters were unsure what had happened. Confusion and Panic were in their voices as bits of information mixed with pure guess work passed for news that day. I sat not yet fully awake trying to make sense of the images and sounds that I was witnessing.  I watched the endless loop.  The Today Show replayed footage of the second plane hitting the South Tower over and over. No one seemed to really know what was happening. I was watching live when the second Tower came down. Ash and Fire filled the sky and our country was forever changed. Beyond the planes that were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers, two more planes were hijacked that day. One crashed into the Pentagon. The other in a field in Pennsylvania, believed to be targeted on the White House.

In the days and weeks that followed two narratives emerged. The first narrative highlighted the very worse that America has to offer. Mosques were sieged and taken over by angry citizens. People whose only crime was looking like what other people imagined the attackers to be were threatened, beaten, and even killed.  In a time where all were unsure of what was next; a time when all grieved; in a time were unity was the best answer anyone could muster in the face of such violence and confusion,  American citizens sought out their neighbor and reacted with prejudice, hatred, and violence.

Why would someone react this way? Why in a time where the American flags hung on nearly every door and post, a time where people came together to raise money and support for the victims and their families, why would others go out and cause harm to their own country? Their own countrymen and women?

Fear, Anger, Uncertainty, Helplessness. These are the emotions that cause people to react. These are the emotions that were felt in America on that day and the days that followed. I know at least they are the emotions that welled up in me.

But these feelings are not unique to me. To see a building collapse, to know that someone from outside your home. Outside your place of safety could attack the Pentagon, try and attack the White House, kill thousands of civilians who were only harmed because they had arrived on time for their flight or showed up for work that day. It will cause fear and anger. And it should. Their aim of the terrorist is to cause fear in the hearts and minds of people. The terrorists accomplished their aim on that day.

However, that narrative of fear and reaction is not the only narrative from that day. There is a second narrative. The one of those whose actions showed their faith by their deeds. Those whose words and actions were kind and compassionate. Self-less and for some even Self-giving. Of course this is the narrative of the firefighters, police, and EMTs that ran toward the smoke. Toward the towers. Toward the danger. They may have felt fear and uncertainty but their actions showed that the others come first.

There is a word we use to classify these kinds of professions. They are known as first responder. They do not react. They respond. When the planes hit the building the fire departments of New York and its neighbors did not rush to find a place to express their anger and fear with more violence. Neither did they rush toward the towers without any tools or equipment. They responded. They put on the proper gear and they brought the proper equipment allowing them to help those buried beneath the buildings. Their actions spoke louder than their words. Their actions of self-sacrifice spoke louder than the violence with which the day had begun.

In the last fifteen years the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center has been cleared, memorials built and a new structures now fill the New York City skyline. And yet we still live in a culture filled with competing narratives. Every day there are police who put their lives on the line to maintain order. Every day there are law enforcement officers who abuse power and bring violence and even death upon the citizens they swore to serve and protect. The Scriptures command that the orphan, widow, and immigrant be cared for. The Church (as a whole) is still discussing and debating who is worthy of our aid and comfort. The 24 hour news cycle cares more about the moral character of a football player than the moral character of the candidates asking to lead our country.

But there is hope. Part Two tomorrow.

--Serving Him alongside all of you, just from further away
--Jesse Letourneau