Reading James 5:1-6 this morning made me realize how blessed we are in the U.S to have the luxuries we do. Yet it also made me feel uncomfortable, for James 5:1-6 warns those with luxuries, the rich, that they will experience misery. As I looked through the passage I found myself realizing it wasn’t because of the riches, but how they were gained, through injustice. As God brings the world into a world of justice, we are going to have to give up the luxuries gained through injustice. I know many of our products in the U.S. are gained through injustice. Or are they? This is something I’m not good at accepting. Insulated from those that bring us our goods we are not aware of the injustice we’re a part of. We question, is there injustice? Are people who make our clothes, bring us the beans for our coffee treated like chattel? Where can we turn to not be a part of it? Can we? That’s hard, it will take sacrifice, which will bring misery. Sometimes it's easier to just ignore it as if it's not true. But we can't, or can we? James is right, misery will come. Yet the next verses are about patience in suffering (NRSV heading) I have a feeling there’s something positive in there for us assuring us God is with us.
Comments welcome. Any thoughts about how you deal with injustice when it comes to buying products. Any thoughts, confessions. In responses be kind to each other.
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