James was writing to churches warning them about the corrupting influences of the godless world. According to James, the godless world had entered the churches. Instead of the kingdom of God whose first citizens were the poor, the churches were honoring the rich and treating the poor like dirt---a fundamental violation of the Royal Law of the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Especially your poor neighbor.
In the godless world, the poor are despised. The typical citizen of the godless world flees the poor, moves up and out. The citizen of the kingdom moves down and in, to live among God's honored ones. True citizens of the kingdom fellowship with oppressed widows and orphans, not with the rich of the godless world.
The six Caleb CCD leaders are obeying Jesus; they are living among the poor, ministering to the oppressed, and combining faith and works of justice. Christian Community Development honors, prioritizes, the poor and exposes oppression by the rich.
In his excellent book, At Home With The Poor, Jean Thomas writes:
"The Old Testament solution to the problem of unequal distribution of resources was a partial redistribution in the sabbatical year and a complete redistribution during the Jubilee year. During the Jubilee year, everyone was given an opportunity to own the land and resources that over the half century had become concentrated among a few.
"We knew that giving the very poor in Fond-des-Blancs a chance to own pigs would not completely equalize the difference between them and the poor, but they would benefit from owning livestock."
From James, The Message:
"God chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. And here you [the rich] are abusing these same citizens. Isn't it the high and mighty [the rich] who exploit you? . . . . Separate faith and works and you get a [religious] corpse."
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