So you see, 

faith by itself isnt enough. 

Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

James 2:17 NLT

The word here the NLT says is "dead and useless" literally means it "lacks life".

James is (not so gently) letting his readers or the hearers of his letter know that faith should be life, speak life, create life, engage life, by the things faith prompts us to do, to become in the world. 

Faith is a heart thing that finds its expression in the life we live and the life we give.

We are embodied souls, and faith is an outworking in the world, embodied. 

A requirement of a paper I was studying in 2022 required 40hours of voluntary work with a group and in a context that was new or different to what we might choose to do, or have done before.

I ended up washing dishes and making breakfast and doing cafe prep so that the pastor could spend time with the people he was serving.

But I had to do it for my paper. 

James wants our hearts to be alive to those around us, alive to injustice, alive to others needs, and to step towards them.

Not because we have to, but because Faith is alive in us.

There's no "shoulds" or list, just allowing the aliveness of faith to find its expression in the world (& it can start in the smallest of ways)

#james

#faith

#dearbrothersandsisters

#inthistogether 

#smallisgood

#alivenessoffaith