(Please read the Scripture passage before reading the homily.)
Saint James speaks of wisdom in this reading. He contrasts the wisdom from God from the wisdom of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition of an earthly and unspiritual source, one he labels demonic or diabolic. It is this word diabolic on which I want to focus today.
Its antonym is symbolic. Both come from the Greek word that gives us the word ball. The “sym” part of symbol means with; the “dia” part of diabolic means against. A symbol brings something together; what is diabolic pulls things apart.
A statement of faith or of principle can be called a symbol. In older English, the Creed of the Christian Church was called a symbol of faith. The Scout Oath and Law is a symbol in this
sense. The constitution of a country may be called a symbol. All these draw people together.
The opposite of symbol is confusion, the everyone-for-self attitude, which we would call diabolic. It is like a riot or the confusion that comes from lies. It is opposed to truth. It is ambitious, selfish and disordered. It causes war and death.
The wisdom of God is symbolized by peacefulness, gentleness, mercy and sincerity. This wisdom of James brings people together and invites people into cooperation. This is the wisdom from above. This is the wisdom God calls us to have.
I cannot speak of the situation on the borders of Ukraine and Russia, but to the extent that one or other party is practicing deception and not speaking the truth, to that extent we have something diabolic, something splitting us up.
The same is true of the divisiveness evident in our country. To the extent that it is based on lies, deceit, selfishness or lack of charity, to that extent it is diabolic.
The same is true in our individual relationships. To the extent that they are based on our insecurity, selfishness, or lack of integrity, to that extent, they are diabolic and based on the wisdom of this world, not the wisdom that comes from God.
The wisdom God of breeds peace, understanding, respect, gentleness and mercy. It is symbolized by the way we work together and love each other. God’s wisdom draws everything together. It restores the original unity of creation. It redeems us from the diabolical divisiveness of selfishness.
If we have this divine wisdom, we must show it by a lived humbly. James wants us to have this wisdom. It is the mark, the symbol, of our relationship with God.