Vital Choices - Words or Deeds 3/28/43

Scripture: James 1: 17-27

Text: James 1: 22a, --- “be ye doers of the word, and not heareers only.”

I suppose that one of the more serious afflictions of people who live in pleasant and prosperous times might be called “spectatoritis.” Symptoms of the malady may be observed at a baseball game, among people in the stands, who consistently take their exercise vocally, leaving other physical action and mental coordination to those few fellows out on the diamond. Or the disease appears in those whose chief effectiveness is the effort put forth in viewing and hearing the bill of fare at the motion picture theater. The particular type of person who is victim of the malady I mention goes to his church - if he goes - to “hear” a sermon, to “be uplifted,” to “enjoy” the music, to “absorb” an atmosphere. Perhaps he wonders in disturbed moments, why life doesn’t have a greater “kick” for him.

The person afflicted with this disease is bound to stay discontented and to remain far short of his possibilities if he has not found, and used, some avenue of action. For we were made to move when inspired by fear, or by hope, or by ambition. Life is frustrated if it consists only in hearing and talking.

An airplane crashed in Dutch Guyana. Aboard it was the writer, Eric Knight. Just before he had boarded the plane, he dropped a note to his publisher. Part of the note reads like this:

“When I get where I’m going, I won’t be able to do any more work on the next book. It’s about a guy coming home from the war ---- but I don’t know. The big thing is to win this war by killing Germans, not writing books --- I admire conscientious objectors in this war as long as they’re conscientious about it, and I admire soldiers. The only ones I never admire are the ones who fight with their mouths.”

This is blunt talk; and a realistic statement which applies to many situations besides the war. Those admired are those who fight not “with their mouths” but with some kind of deeds.

Here is a little story of a hard-boiled newspaper reporter. A fellow in the employ of his paper had died leaving a widow and several children, with no money. One of the office force had quite a bit to say about the improvidence of some people in being inadequately insured to take care of dependents in case of death or extended illness. Now here was this poor widow and these orphans - a pitiable example of human need, not cared for. And so on! The hard-boiled reported listened a few minutes and then said, “I guess that all means you’re sorry for the poor guy’s family, doesn’t it?” “Why certainly,” replied the speaker, “I’m sorry for this impoverished family ...” “Well so am I,” said the reporter, “I’m sorry fifty dollars worth. How sorry are you?”

Fifty dollars meant for him a stretching of the pay envelope and a tightening of the belt that you and I would hardly think we could stand. But it spoke far more eloquently than the homily of the man in the front office.

There is nothing wrong with good words. All of us can learn and may profit from the teacher’s words, the pastor’s sermons, and the motion pictures we see. It is high privilege to sit at the feet of some teacher whose words are wise, and whose insights are accurate. But the value of words is won or lost by the way in which hearers are moved to action by them.

The New Testament is full of the gospel of action. In his Sermon on the Mount, Our Lord says to his hearers, “Everyone which heareth these words of mine and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon the rock. ---- And everyone that heareth these words of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish, man which built his house upon the sand: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and if fell, and great was the fall thereof.” [Matthew 7: 24-27].

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5: 16].

The book of James is full of the emphasis on deeds, deeds, deeds! “These things ought ye to have done, and not left the other undone.” (This verse furnished the theme for the Rev. Mr. Trigg’s sermon at last Sunday evening’s Union Service.) “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” is a verse which furnishes us plenty of food for thought in this morning’s devotional period. One translation puts it this way: “Become doers of the word.”

The Golden Rule is a rule of action cast in positive expression. Not just the negative - “Don’t do to anyone else what you would not want him to do to you” - that is the rule of some very wise philosophers. It implies letting the other fellow alone. But our Golden Rule is given us in positive terms: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This positive, active, commanding Rule is devastating to our self-centeredness and carelessness.

It is notable that Jesus Christ’s gospel is preserved in words only by others. He himself was not a writer. Once, it is said, he wrote in the sand. But that had to do with a tense bit of action.

Jesus’ words are the greatest ever spoken, but we hear them not as words of the passive philosopher, but of the man of action. “Go thou.” “Follow me.” “Come unto me.” “If any man will follow me, let him take up his cross.” “Go, sell.” “Take up thy bed and walk.” Jesus’ words were intended to live in people; that is where he left them. He had some scathing things to say about those who think they will be heard “for their much speaking.”

Jesus bodily existence was that of a man of action. His teachings are a challenge to action. He was a healer and mover of people. He “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” He drove the money changers from the holy temple. He commanded his followers to do difficult tasks and be great souls.

If the New Testament is a book of action, there is action in the Old Testament, too. An interesting combination of words appears at least a dozen times in the Old Testament - “Observe and do” - as if to offer the sage advice to us to know and understand what we are about, and be about it!

“Be ye doers of the word,” wrote James, “And not hearers only.” And remember that much of the New Testament is letters like this one written by leaders to their churches and friends urging, and counseling right conduct and positive living.

We are, as a nation, prone to give advice, which is not always kindly received abroad. We are concerned and even righteously indignant about India, about which we really know very little. In our concern over what England ought to do about it (and I believe she should do a good deal about it) we forget certain important problems of our own that need careful understanding, sound theory and appropriate action. As yet we Americans have found no sufficient solution for the ill treatment of our own American Negroes, or the insufficient care of our American Indians. We have neither thought through nor acted wisely in relation to our own citizens whose ancestors were Japanese. Our present actions toward many of them are a denial of some very fundamental American principles. If we believe in the rights of minorities to a fair chance, and a proportionate voice, we will have to do some work on this problem. And we will have to set up some guards against the plague of anti-Semitism which has fouled Europe and ferments even now within our own borders. We talk about the evils of imperialism as we see it in our enemies and our allies as well. We had better be actively concerned with our own exploitation of our Puerto Rican possession and our Cuban neighbor. We profess to believe in equal treatment of everyone, yet the Chinese find it hard to hear us on that when our laws prevent a single Chinese now to come on our shores to live permanently.

I honestly think that America is in advance of many other nations; but mere comparison with them may still leave us relatively low by the standards which we ourselves profess to hold. We need to improve our practice in order to preach to others. If and when we can make good our promise to free the Philippines, we shall speak a word in language everyone will understand. Other words of action need to be said.

If we guard not ourselves, we American Christians fall into censorious criticism as church people. We too easily see the faults, the worldliness, the conventionality, the narrowness or bigotry or what not, of our sister communions while comfortably oblivious to our own shortcomings.

In order that our churches may point a way to the world in general, we need to do more work on our own Christian fellowship. Some progress is being made. During the last decade several Christian communions have united. Now others are in the midst of conversations about union or closer fellowship. The more of this ecumenical movement that can be honestly accomplished, the better. And the more understanding that can be developed between communions as yet too wide apart for union, the stronger may our voices be, when we tell nations that they should compose their differences and live together in harmony, peace, and good will.

We may well pray and work for that spiritual rebirth that shall move us to match our hearing and our words with action and accomplished deeds.

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids, March 28, 1943

W.F.H.R., Wisconsin Rapids, June 8, 1943