Today we remember St. James. He was a fisherman, a son of Zebedee, and the brother of John. The two brothers along with Peter formed an inner circle among the disciples. These are the three that were with Jesus at the Transfiguration and were near to him in Gethsemane. James is the only one of the Twelve whose martyrdom is mentioned in the Scriptures. Herod “had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword” (Acts 12:2).

When Herod saw how pleased some people were that James had been killed, he arrested Peter, probably intending a similar fate for him. Herod did what benefitted himself regardless of what it did to others.

James wasn’t a perfect person. Remember how he and his brother wanted Jesus to give them positions of power when he came into his Kingdom? Yet I admire the courage of James to be a follower of Jesus even at the cost of his life. That’s integrity–to live and die on the basis of what you hold true.

I once did an exercise that showed I value integrity and security, but these two values are in conflict within me. I strive to live according to what I believe, but sometimes holding to my beliefs threatens my own well-being. Do I live (and maybe suffer) like James or carry on like Herod? I haven’t resolved the internal conflict, but maybe seeing the possibilities of both people in myself keeps me aware of the danger.

We see in James’s life what was valuable to him. What do you value?

Read Acts 12:1-3 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne