“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

Tim Peeters wrote a book about the Carthusian order. The Carthusians were founded in the 11th century. They are monks who live a life of solitude, prayer and contemplation. Many consider their way of life to be austere.

Reflecting on their lifestyle, Peeters wrote something which applies not only to monks, but to everyone who strives to follow Jesus, no matter what tradition they come from: “Spirituality comes from above, but is always lived from below.”*

That’s helpful. Our spirituality comes from God. But this isn’t a set of beliefs and practices which are remote and detached from everyday life. Some people certainly tend to have their ‘head in the clouds.’ In contrast, Jesus’ people are intended to have their feet firmly planted on the ground so that they can be a part of God’s work in the real world.

Our spirituality is, as Peeters reminds us, always lived from below. It takes shape in real, everyday situations. It finds expression in our conversations, in the care we share with others, in our schools and workplaces, and in our daily habits.

This is part of what Jesus’ half-brother James was getting at when he said that “faith without deeds is dead.” If we claim to have faith in God but never live any differently as a result of that faith, then it’s not really faith; it’s a corpse. From a distance it looks alive, but is actually lifeless.

If we believe in Jesus, we will be the hands and feet of Jesus. Some days will be better than others, and none of us are without sin. But with God’s help, we will increasingly be a part of God’s gracious work in the world.

“Spirituality comes from above, but is always lived from below.”

---

Notes:

–New Bible Study Podcast: “The Visit of the Wise Men, Herod’s Treachery, Exceeding Joy.” This episode is a Bible study on Matthew 2. Who were they? (Magi – most likely a priestly class of astrologers who sought wisdom, perhaps even through wizardry.) Where did they come from? (Most likely Persia; the common trade route in the 1st century would have made it a 1288 km trip). It looks at these details, plus Herod’s treachery, and how Egypt figures into the story to highlight Jesus as the greater Moses. Click here, or tune in to ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe to podcasts.

–*Tim Peeters, When Silence Speaks (Darton Longman & Todd Ltd, 2015), 3.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.