Love Comes

Pay attention to the words people speak as you get ready to walk out the door,” our chaplain supervisors advised us during our training as student chaplains. And sure enough, they were right! No matter how long we sit with patients and no matter how many topics we talk about, they often share the crux of what they want to say just as we prepare to say goodbye. With a hand on the doorknob, a chaplain may suddenly hear the words, “I am a little scared,” or “My children haven’t come to see me.” At that point, the chaplain may sit down and enter a new and deeper conversation.
This passage from James both hints at the power of casually spoken words and saves its deeper message for the end. James touches on themes of speaking, listening, and acting as he recommends a way of life for Christian followers. In his plainspoken style that translates fluidly across the centuries between us, James includes coping strategies for spiritual tests and the rewards for faithful endurance.
Finally, at the end of the passage, James reveals what really matters. Before we go out the door of this scripture, James reminds us of the “why” of what we do as disciples. Our mission isn’t about justifying or saving ourselves. Rather, God seeks to work through us to serve all those who depend on us. James and other biblical authors use the phrase “orphans and widows in their distress” to refer to the most vulnerable of God’s beloved children who receive few resources and fewer rights. Come back and sit down, James reminds us. Don’t go out the door before you hear this deeper truth—our actions, inspired by God’s love, matter the most.