Serving amongst those who are suffering in South Africa has transformed my understanding of prayer, discipleship, stewardship, compassion and blessing but especially of faith and works. This week I will focus my thoughts on the topic of faith and works.

As a pastor in the U.S. I often struggled to reconcile my reformed roots, a gospel of faith alone, with passages such as Matthew 25 where Jesus boldly declares that if we don't feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give a cup of cold water to the thirsty and visit prisoners that we will be commanded to depart from His presence on Judgment Day. Also, when I studied the book of James, at times I resonated with Luther's opinion that it was a "might strawy epistle" and that maybe it shouldn't have been allowed in the canon. Consider these words from God written by James: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

One day, two of our community health workers heard about a young widowed woman who was very sick with AIDS and had barricaded herself into her shack. Her neighbors had noticed her two young sons coming and going from the house and occasionally begging for food. When our health workers visited they found a frail, desperately ill woman sitting on a tattered sofa, the only piece of furniture in her shack made of wood and tin scraps, holding a two-week-old baby. The woman was taken to a local clinic where she died hours later, leaving behind three orphaned children.

Events such as this have deeply affected my understanding of God. Stories such as this play themselves out around the world over and over again every day: suffering people facing insurmountable challenges, desperately in need of practical care. The reality that I could have been born in a shack in Philippi has become a real part of the fabric of my soul. I didn't choose to be born into a wealthy suburban family in America. I didn't have anything to do with it thus, God must have known that I was destined for the life I had. At times I have felt twinges of guilt for all the blessings I received as an American, but I have discovered here that with blessing comes responsibility. My faith demands that I respond to the brokenness in the world with righteous deeds. These deeds have nothing to do with my salvation, but rather the actions that I participate in are the natural response of my faith to God's prompting. These actions don't save me, but if I am a believer, good deeds will accompany my faith.no, they become the biblical response of my faith in the situation at hand. Things such as these (that were topics for theological ping-pong in the past) have become the reality of my daily journey. The woman who died, leaving her three children behind, passed away during our first year living in South Africa. I am thrilled to announce that two years later, all three children are thriving. They are healthy, happy and fully loved by a woman who is raising seven orphans in a home sponsored by Bridges of Hope. We praise God for the faith of many around the world who have prayed for these children, supported their needs and allowed their faith to respond in good works.

What does this mean for others? Hopefully believers around the world who have been blessed by God with abundance, will in turn consider the reality that they could have been born into poverty. If you had been born into an urban slum, how would you want believers around the world to assist you? As you ponder this, imagine the lives of Nomafili (15 years), Thandiswa (13 years) and Onele (8 years). They lost both of their parents to HIV/AIDS and are now raising themselves in a crime-ridden neighborhood where they often hear gunshots as they lay in bed at night. They struggle to understand why God would allow both of their parents to die, but they have an unimaginable amount of hope in the midst of their tragic circumstances. The response of caring believers displaying their faith in action, has brought these girls hope. After receiving care from concerned Christians, they embraced the compelling love of Jesus at the Orphan Support Group that we lead in their neighborhood. Believers in America and South Africa are providing for their school fees, clothes, food and utilities. They have found strength through the faith of others that has caused them to begin dreaming of finishing school and becoming leaders in their country. This hope has challenged my faith to grow. The cycle completes itself: faith moves into action as works of service, works spark hope in the lives of those who are suffering, and hope in the midst of suffering builds the faith of those who are ministering. The great news of Jesus' love is recognized as love demonstrates the heart of God in practical ways.

Those who have been blessed with abundance are like puzzle pieces formed for a perfect fit with those who have great need in their lives. In the process, God makes Himself known and both pieces find their purpose being lived out in the process of transformation. I count it an honor to serve as a bridge between those in need and those who were created to meet those needs. Please pray with us that the millions of people suffering here and the millions of people called out by God to be the hands and feet and voice of Jesus to them would be connected.

Dennis Wadley
Director
Bridges of Hope International
Dennis@bridges-of-hope.org
www.bridges-of-hope.org