there are a few cool/traditional portions brought up in this chapter. Briefly, there is v. 15-16, "the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the lord will raise him up. if he has sinned, he will be forgiven. therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE. i think this is a good bit of advice to heed. i've been trying to be less timid of seeking out righteous people and have them pray for me. i think it's a good idea.
alright, on to the socialist challenge for the day: v. 1-6. i'm not sure how i interpret these verses. i'm slightly afraid that these verses mildly implicate me in a case of conspicuous consumerism. these are tricky verses because my first impulse is to think about what purchases i make and what specific firms are rumored to oppress people in developing countries. i believe that is an incorrect way of looking at things because i then begin to miss the forest for the trees. instead of thinking about my purchasing power and political agendas and economic policies, i should really be focusing my energy and thought processes on exploited people and ways that i can help them. sort of like how fasting doesn't make someone more spiritual and pious in and of itself, but in the grander scheme it is intended to focus one's attention on god and therefore the biproduct of not eating often (and should) become the main purpose. fasting without remembering god defeats the purpose and making prudent consumer decisions without remembering that people just like me are suffering for my cup of coffee or my bananas and not doing anything to help them likewise defeats the purpose. perhaps i can tie this into my faith/tithing rant from last week and research some good charities that will help to neutralize the devastating effects of worker exploitation. in conclusion, all this makes me fantasize about a discussion between james, marx, and adam smith.
abuch out.
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