Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood munkindogs.
And today is day 22 of Towards the Light,
An Advent journey.
Today we're going to explore our faith in action.
Advent gives us a special invitation to embody the faith that we proclaim.
Faith isn't just something we believe,
Faith is something we live.
It takes root in our hearts,
It bears fruit in the way that we move through the world and more often than not,
It's in the small,
Seemingly ordinary acts where faith truly comes alive.
James reminds us in James chapter 2 and from verse 14,
And I quote,
What good is it,
My brothers and sisters,
If someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save them?
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to them,
Go in peace,
Keep warm and well fed,
But does nothing about their physical needs,
What good is it?
In the same way,
Faith by itself,
If it is not accomplished by action,
Is dead.
But some will say,
You have faith,
But I have deeds.
Show me your faith without deeds and I'll show you my faith by my deeds.
End quote.
Now I want to be quick to say that where James says faith by itself,
If not accompanied by action,
Is dead in verse 17,
This doesn't mean faith is about earning God's love.
Not at all.
It's about letting that love move through us,
Shaping how we live and how we love.
It's the evidence of God's love dwelling in us and moving through us into the world.
Mother Teresa once said,
Not all of us can do great things,
But we can do small things with great love.
In this season of Advent waiting,
It's easy to feel like we're holding our breath for something that's big,
Something that's extraordinary.
But Advent shows us that God's work often begins in the smallest,
Quietest ways.
A feed trough instead of a throne.
A baby instead of a warrior.
Faith in action doesn't require grand gestures.
It might look like forgiving someone you hurt.
It might look like offering a listening ear to a friend.
It might look like choosing patience when frustration feels easier.
These small acts done with great love ripple out in ways that we can't always see.
Becoming part of God's larger story.
So as you reflect today,
Ask the question,
What small act of love can you offer to someone today?
Maybe it's a kind word to a stranger,
A note of encouragement to someone in need or a quiet prayer for someone on your heart.
These acts,
As small as they may seem,
Are your faith in motion.
A reflection of the God who works powerfully through the ordinary.
And so may you find joy in the small acts of love that bring light to others.
May you see your daily choices as opportunities to live out your faith with purpose.
May you trust that even the smallest gestures done with love are part of God's great work in the world.
And may you be encouraged to show up again and again with a heart open to both giving and also to receiving.
As you enter your day,
Let faith guide your steps and love be the reason behind them.
Commit to one act of kindness,
No matter how small.
And let that be your prayer in motion,
A tangible expression of God's light shining directly through you.
And may faith,
Peace,
Grace and love go with you every step of the way.
Thank you for joining me today,
Friends.
We'll see you tomorrow for another reflection in our Advent journey towards the light.
Peace be with you.
