The epistles of James, verses of which have been appearing on this blog as part of the Forbidden Bible Verses series, have much to say about our response to material and religious oppression.

What makes James the Just’s advice difficult to swallow — and follow — even today is the exhortation to follow the way of Christ, not the world, when things go badly.

In James 1:1-16, he tells the diaspora of Jewish Christians to count their ‘trials’ as joy (James 1:2). These are tests requiring steadfastness of faith as a robust response (James 1:3-4). James says nothing of anger, revenge or protests here. Community organisers, socio-political activists and liberation theologians would find that anathema and would probably advise ignoring such advice.

Yet, James the Just was known as being above reproach in character and deed — even if he wasn’t an Apostle. Some Bible scholars theorise that his righteousness might have been the root of the Jewish Christian diaspora from Jerusalem. He was so exemplary and had made so many converts that the powers that be — high priests and wealthy citizens — wanted rid of them.

However, such a message jars with our 21st century materialism. I have a well-off acquaintance who craves more money, a larger house and so on. She is in love with what this world can provide but never counts her own blessings: a healthy, loving family; a house in a good neighbourhood and financial security. No, for this agnostic, there always has to be something more to be acquired. Faith is unimportant to her. It is irrelevant.

It is not so different with those in France who recently voted the Socialist (PS) François Hollande into office.  They want the rich to be taxed on 75% of their income, a policy which Hollande mooted during the recent presidential campaign. Yet, as someone (Pascale Lundi from Nîmes) pointed out on a radio forum, the rich are already paying millions into the French treasury:

Do the sums!! I invite the PS to demonstrate that [Liliane] Bettencourt [Loréal heiress] only pays 14% in tax (admittedly, that’s not a lot), but even 14% of €1 million (just off the top of my head) is €140,000 … We have to be logical about this (for your information, I pay only €300 in tax) … 

Demonising the rich by extracting more from them is not going to help the situation. As Baroness Thatcher said (paraphrased), ‘The problem with socialism is running out of other people’s money’.

It’s always someone else who must pay. It is always someone else’s fault. Yet, even in adversity, believers can find themselves strengthened by God’s grace. As Matthew Henry points out (emphases mine):

By suffering in the ways of righteousness, we are serving the interests of our Lord’s kingdom among men, and edifying the body of Christ; and our trials will brighten our graces now and our crown at last.

It seems the more people fall away from the Christian faith, the more they become attached to the temporal comforts of this life. Nothing else seems to matter. And left-wing politicians, activists — along with clergy — are good at pumping up the class war. For this reason, I have become wary of men and women ‘working for a more fair and just society’. Those are Democrats, Labo(u)r Party members, Socialists and Greens, to name but a few.

Fairness and justice do not come through redistribution of material goods. Fairness and justice come about through faith in Christ Jesus and in the fruits of that faith in loving ‘one another as I have loved you’ (John 13:34-35).

If we truly love Jesus and put our faith in Him, we will be able to get by with what we have. God will give us the grace and the means to survive in times of hardship. Even Obamacare will not provide everyone with peace of mind with regard to healthcare. Mandated coverage of sorts under this misguided bill does not guarantee prepaid treatment. It seems that many supporters of this policy do not understand that point. It would be much better — and more Christian — to be able to move away (impossible though it is right now) from the power of big insurance companies by returning to independent consortia of family doctors and specialists. That’s how it was when I was growing up in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. One took out insurance to cover hospital stays and procedures.  For everything else, one paid a general practitioner a modest amount for treating minor ailments, giving inoculations and so on. And that is what most people need, not preventive checks of all sorts which only inflate the coffers of insurance companies.

Then, there are those who point the finger at ‘scroungers’ and ‘malingerers’. No one denies that they exist, but many conservative-libertarians lump everyone receiving temporary Job Seekers Allowance or unemployment insurance into one big basket. ‘They should be made to wear Gitmo-orange jackets and be outside in all weathers — earning their keep!’ Friends, these temporarily unemployed people have already paid into the system. They receive a modest weekly sum which is just enough to keep their heads above water.  Whilst some deviously milk the system, many of them  are among the honest number.

And, finally, we have the problem of immigration. Would that left-leaning politicians — and I include ‘wet’ British Conservatives here (akin to RINOs in the US) — admit, ‘Well, this is a means of reparations for past colonial wrongs.’  Be honest. But, this, too, is a materialistic solution. It is also impractical. Nicolas Sarkozy and his cabinet members pointed out on various radio interviews a few weeks ago, ‘When a glass of water is full, you can’t keep filling it up.’ Of course, the ‘r’ word was used against them. Right now, the ‘r’ word is akin to the ‘f’ word. I cannot bear to hear or read it anymore, it’s been so misused over the past five years.

Of course, there was a time not so long ago — and readers who are descended from immigrants will know this — that those who emigrated to another country were grateful to be there. Many men had to find jobs to support their families; women had to learn the local language and customs. However, more than that, fitting in was an essential voluntary component of the immigration story.

Many years ago I read Irving Howe’s World of Our Fathers which is a absorbing and detailed account of Jewish migration to New York in the early 20th century. They suffered disdain and ridicule from their own people. These immigrants were from Eastern Europe. The German Jews, by then well settled into New York society, shunned them. Of course, the Eastern Europeans had networks for poorly-paid jobs and substandard housing, but no family expected to stay in that situation. They aspired to being as accepted as their German brethren were. They took things on the chin. They scrimped and saved. The men put themselves in positions to pick up English on the job so they could move up in the world. The women took in arduous textile piecework at home whilst minding their children. Parents ensured that education had primacy in the household after God. Mothers learned English from their school-age children. Howe described numerous ghetto households where — as a typical example — after school, the mother set aside an hour or so to listen to a child read to her. She would ask questions in Yiddish; she would ask the child to explain to her in English. Later on, the mother would sit next to the child and learn to read English.

These parents told their children that they would have to rise from their poverty and do better than they.

There was no welfare, no subsidised health care, no unemployment insurance, no social housing, no housing assistance.  The only available free benefit was the relatively recent state school system.

And this was the common Christian and Jewish immigrant experience until a few decades ago.

So, it is little wonder that many Americans and other Europeans who have migrated to another country (even within their own continent) and remember their ancestors’ stories take umbrage at new arrivals coming from other nations who appear to be ungrateful. Admittedly, this — like wealthy taxpayers and the temporarily unemployed — can also quickly lead to tarring people with the same brush, which is equally reprehensible.

Nonetheless, there is bound to be a problem when a predominantly biblical culture which considers pride is a sin finds itself confronted with politically militant secularists or equally upfront new arrivals demanding occupation ‘rights’, ‘justice’ for the ‘oppressed’ and encouraging public marches which do little to resolve anything. In fact, they often serve to block open discussion and stoke resentment. It’s no wonder James the Just advised a Christian not a materialistic solution!

This leads to a misunderstanding on both sides of the spectrum, for instance, between private and public sector employees as well as longtime residents and incoming groups. One recent example were the Mayday marches in France. I also have in mind another video which I’ve now watched several times; I’m still not sure I’ve understood it properly. It was a national day march (not French) which took place nearly a year ago in Marseille, a 2600-year old bastion of the successful assimilation of many cultures over the centuries:

Only a few participants look as if they are enjoying it. At the five minute mark, the men begin raising walking sticks and fists. A blog that covers these events, Le Meilleur de Marseille, didn’t mention anything afterward which would have included people from Marseille to celebrate this national day. If there was nothing for the greater city, then it comes across as confusing to the rest of the population. By contrast, public celebrations of Christian saints or Western nations’ festivals include everyone in the event. (The people in the film are Cormorian and Muslim, speaking in their own language and marching in a Christian (broadly speaking) city.)

Christians are perplexed by such demonstrations when they have been brought up in humility, quiet living and love of one another. We are here together but a short time. One is reminded of 1 Peter 2:11, 16-17 (emphases mine):

 11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

This applies to all believers. We might be slighted for not participating in demonstrations or militancy. We might be ridiculed for a quiet life. Yet, if we remember the Sermon on the Mount — ironically, the same sermon that leftist Christians enjoy quoting — we are called to be meek and righteous.

So, whether we are immigrants, suffering economic hardship, discriminated against because of our faith, let us remember James 1:12:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

We can live without socialism, materialism and identity politics. We cannot live without Christ.