I’ve mentioned other places that I’m in the “Fatherless” category (half-orphan? I’ve heard that said before). Dad died when I was very young, so I got to see first-hand how that tends plays out for a lot of Churches. The results, realistically, aren’t too pretty. I will note that the Church we attended during this period is now very grey, very formal and very Mennonite. (Modern-style, if that means much. We actually do have German Mennonites in the area) We did interact with a whole lot of missionaries, as we had money (Dad & Mom were very good planners, so quite a lot of Life Insurance) and were generous. But, in hindsight, I always got the vibe that we were “outsiders”. We moved to the area when I was very young, and it’s not that we were not welcomed, but we most definitely weren’t “in” the Church the way the social cliques were.

Understanding of the way humans work, now, tells me most of the issue was due two issues: 1) my mother was mid-30s, wealthy and very pretty still & 2) my brother & I were smarted than the rest of the kids. The “Church Ladies” viewed my mother as an instinctual threat, and all but one of the pastors had a very hard time looking past that issue. Which actually leads to much of the point of the Epistle of James.

What the Spirit of the Lord, through James, is telling us to do won’t profit us directly, in the short term, in this life. Most of the book of James is about getting not just out of your comfort zone but out of your own self-interest. James 2, most directly, is the biggest explanation of “Your Faith should produce Works, get to it”. Which is why helping Widows & Orphans is on par with being “unstained” by the World: neither of them serve this life in the way that Sin wants it to be served. Widows & Orphans have only gratitude to give, in nearly all cases. No one is going to be rushing to give you a gold star. No dinner in your honor. Just the Peace & Grace of the Spirit of God within you.