The writer warns against giving preference to the rich over the poor.
Giving such preferential treatment is difficult to avoid. It is so built into our culture that we do it without even realizing we have done it. Sometimes it happens because we simply don't know how to interact with those who are a differing social class than our own.
There is a compounding factor in this village. If you look at a map of economic disadvantage (such maps are regularly updated by the Clemson City Planning Office - in order to address issues of social importance) you will see that those maps overlay way too neatly with maps showing racial divide. In Clemson, as in too much of SC, the poor are also those will dark skin tone.
For the most part, Lutherans are a rather subtle lot. We allow our faith to ooze out of us rather than proclaim it loudly or boldly. This is one area where we cannot not do that. We can't go along with the flow and wait to see if there are subtle opportunities to insert a suggestion or two. It is essential for the health of the community and the health of the planet that we become bold in overcoming our mistreatment of the poor.
I ask you to read James 2:1-13 today. Keep its words on your mind and apply them to your life. Take 5 minutes and have a conversation with someone who you might otherwise tend to overlook or ignore. It might be the person cleaning your classroom or the lady handing out tickets in the parking lot. How about the folks who ride the CAT Bus to get to work? Or one of the guys putting out mulch on campus.
We fall into routines. And those routines become patterns. And those patterns all too often allow us or even encourage us to offer preferential treatment. James warns us about this. Appropriately so.
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