Americans, for the most part, seem to put a lot of emphasis on what we have and what we do. Somewhere along the lines, certain jobs were deemed unattractive and undesirable and the people who did them are also unattractive and undesirable. To some, this means they can treat those people as less and that they deserve to be mistreated. Ask anyone who has worked retail or food service and they will have all kinds of stories for you. Conversely, certain jobs have been deemed extremely desirable, usually because of the money that goes along with it. With their prestige come all kinds of privileges.

I guess it has always been that way for a long time. James is well aware of just how Jesus would have it to be. They both put traditional thinking on its ear. They say that we shouldn’t show favorites between the haves and the have nots. It isn’t always easy to do sometimes. The mentality of “do unto others before they do unto you” keeps us from doing what we are truly taught to do- treating others the way we want to be treated.

There is a song called “Orphans of God” that explains that there are no strangers or outcasts when it comes to God. We all have days where we are less than desirable. There was that time when we were an outcast but God loved us and loves us. When we forget all that God has brought us through and get “too big for our britches” and mistreat people, we not only misrepresent God’s love and call for us. There are no strangers. There are no outcasts. There are no favorites with God. That’s the way we should treat each other.