Monthly Archives: September 2024

What does a good life look like? Reflection on James 3:1-12

We can do nothing about the misuse of Christianity in the USA. But here in our small corner of the world, in our small church, we can seek to live lives drawing on the wisdom from above that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. Continue reading

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The Power and Danger of Speech: Insights from James 3:1-12

The lie that Haitian immigrants are eating pets could be seen as funny. That is the way many people have taken it, you can already order t-shirts with Trump’s quote on them, although it is less funny when we think about the anti-immigrant hatred that prompts such lies. A much more dangerous lie, a lie that we know has sparked a fire, is the lie that Hamas beheaded forty Israeli babies on October 7, 2023. Continue reading

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The Importance of Faith in Action: Reflection on James 2:1-10, 14-17

In Greco-Roman culture honour was to be given to the rich and powerful. Our culture is the same. We too place praise and reward the rich, while ignoring the poor or blaming them for their poverty. There is a reason that the media recently reported on Gina Rinehart’s opinions about the curriculum taught in Australian schools and it is not because Ms Rinehart has any particular qualifications or expertise in education. Continue reading

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