Wisdom from James 4

 James 2:1-8  Show no partiality

The members of the early church, like us, were inclined to be impressed by wealth and discomforted by poverty.  Love you neighbour as yourself is a hard one if we take seriously God’s definition of neighbour. If we consider as neighbours—as equals, companions, and friends—all those that God considers beloved children, then the simple command to love your neighbour as yourself is not so simple.   Who is it that impresses you? Who are you inclined to impress?  Who is it that you would rather not have to encounter?  It becomes a bit easier when we realize that love in the Bible is a verb that refers to our actions, not a noun describing a feeling.  Even when we meet neighbours that don’t bring out that “loving feeling” in us, we can still act with loving respect towards them. 

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