Ephesians 1 tells us that God's plan is to “unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Yet, as we look at the world today, especially our politics, our views on vaccines, guns, Supreme Court decisions, and a whole host of other things, we are perhaps more divided than ever. In James chapter 4, we are told that the public conflict seen in culture and politics will never unite us nor solve our problems. According to James, being 'right' is not the solution; it is part of the problem.

On the contrary, we must look inside ourselves. But when we do so, we find the negative forces, the 4 D's, that contribute to our divided world: Dissipation, Disloyalty, Disintegration and Distraction. James takes on each of these with direct and startling language unfamiliar to 21st century ears. But more than this, James shows us a better path, the gospel way, through which God's grace frees us to humble ourselves, clear away the wreckage of our past, and connect with the God who “jealously yearns over the spirit he has made to dwell within us” (James 4:5). In doing so, we find the life-changing pathway which begins to unite the world, one conversation, one relationship at a time.