James 3:13-4:12
“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4)
Given the negative tone of the above verse, it would be odd for me to say that it is one of my “favorite” verses. Favorite verses, after all, should be reserved for affirming scripture like John 3:16 or the Christ-hymn of Philippians 2. Even still, though, I have to admit an affinity for this verse (and most of the passage around it). It has the benefit of being rather clear cut, black-and-white, which always gives us a sense of security and stability. In it, there is a thing called “the world,” which we can rightfully take to mean all those aspects of our social-political life that teems over with injustice, depravity, vulgarity, and abuse, and that friendship with this profanes God. It is then easy to invert this verse and understand that rejecting these negative aspects of “the world” is precisely how we can beholden ourselves – our lives, our loves, our loyalties – to God. In short, rejecting the bad brings God glory. Hurray!
The troubles, of course, come in when we start to try to define “the world.” I gave simple, almost blasé, enough examples above; the sort of examples I sincerely doubt anyone would quibble with. But tensions can quickly arise when we start trying to unpack “the world.” For example, is capitalism part of “the world”? Maybe, though my IRA investments would then come under scrutiny. Is democracy part of “the world”? Possibly (though how you respond right now probably depends on how the last election went for your preferred candidate; note: I’m writing this prior to the election and am only assuming we’ll have an answer by November 18. Forgive me if we don’t and this illustration makes no sense). Is abortion part of “the world”? Probably, though there’s all those extenuating circumstances that complicate the matter.
And so, I find that this verse/passage I adore doesn’t do all the work I’d like it to do. It is still invaluable in helping point us toward friendship with our God – a friendship won for us by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection – but it doesn’t do enough necessarily to help us understand “the world.” But maybe that’s the point.
Maybe James doesn’t want us thinking about what is and isn’t “the world” – that is, where the boundary between “good and bad” precisely and exactly lies – and instead wants us to move toward those things which are definitively good. Maybe, rather than flirting with the edges, we are being encouraged to return to the center – to worship, to prayer, to Bible study, to fellowship (when it is safe, for unsafe fellowship is certainly part of “the world”!), to acts of generosity and service and care. If so, then let’s orient ourselves to the center, which is Jesus Christ, for the center is strong and it will hold us. Amen.
