Passions and Paths: James' Urgent Call to Conversion
May 21, 2024 - Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time
James 4:1-10
Listening to Apostle James discussing our passions and desires reminds me of the teachings of Buddha and the Stoics. Both Buddhism and Stoicism highlight the negative influence of passions on our lives. Buddhism teaches that the cause of human suffering is our desires, a similar teaching appears in the philosophy of Stoicism. Thus, the only way to happiness is to control or eliminate our passions and desires entirely. Buddhism teaches the Eightfold Path that should lead towards freedom from desires. Stoicism, on the other hand, proposes a virtuous life grounded in four cardinal virtues: justice, prudence, self-control, and courage.
The Greek word translated as "passions" (see James 4:1) is at the root of the English word "hedonism." We have all heard of hedonistic philosophy or lifestyle. In James' view, it is a lifestyle that is willing to break God's commandments to satisfy its desires. As an example, James mentions two of them: "you shall not murder" and "you shall not covet" (see Exodus 20:13, 17). Moreover, the apostle indicates that such a philosophy of life can even infiltrate our prayers. Like in the famous book "The Secret" or among the believers of the so-called "Prosperity Gospel," one asks God for material things.
James diagnoses our problem as friendship with the world. The word "world" should be understood as our social environment. The first Christians had a negative perception of the society they lived in. The only thing they saw in the world was "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). On the other hand, in Jesus, they saw an alternative lifestyle where God and those in need take priority over ego and desires. Buddhism teaches the Eightfold Path and Stoicism teaches four cardinal virtues. Christianity points to Jesus and tells everyone: follow Him, imitate Him.
James demands that we unfriend the world and return to our relationship with God. As a faithful Jew, the apostle is rooted in the Jewish tradition, which sees our relationship with God as an exclusive one, akin to marriage. In the Old Testament, God did not tolerate other gods and idols being worshipped by His people. "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3), He commanded. In James' view, friendship with the world is akin to idolatry.
James' program of repentance strikes us as extremely severe. He tells us to "lament, to mourn, to weep," to change our "laughter into mourning" and "our joy into dejection" (see James 4:9). A severe situation demands severe remedies. In my view, a similar urgent call to conversion is found in Pope Francis' recent document on our ecological crisis, "Laudate Deum'." At the heart of both calls for conversion is a demand to return to God and humbly acknowledge that left to ourselves, we do not know how to live. James invites us to build our lives on God's principles. Will we heed his call to repentance?