Magpies are birds famous for being attracted to anything shiny. Like magpies attracted to car keys left on the porch rail, shiny things catch our eye. We aspire, perhaps, to own a large house or travel the world, and we admire people who have such things. We might think they must be the successful, good people we want to be. On the other hand, we might think people who drive the beat-up car or don’t wear the latest fashion are somehow “less than”. We’re instinctively drawn to people we want to be like - or people who already, look, act, or think like us.
James tells us to go against that instinct and, instead, to prioritize love for all people. James points out the sin of favoring one person over another simply because of the way they dress or how much money they have.
We’re called to love our neighbors as ourselves. What does that look like? It means smiling at a new face as they enter the lobby at church, or at the neighbor as you walk the dog. It means helping the widow do the little handyman jobs her husband used to do, or to help the single dad who is juggling work, kids’ sports, homework, and housework. It means coming alongside the teenager who feels lost and confused. There are many people in the world and just as many ways to show your love for them.
The ultimate way is to share your own story about how you are a life changed by Christ. Walk alongside them in their own faith journey until they, too, are a life changed by Christ.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving me. Help me to show that same love to the people around me. Give me the courage and the opportunity to tell them how you have changed me. Amen