Loneliness and isolation seem to be increasing markedly at the present time. In general, as a society, we are more alone than ever – that has been a trend for some years. The more time we spend on devices on social media, the less time we seem to spend with people. According to Statistics Canada1, 4 in 10 Canadians report feeling loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, and with images of war flashing across television screens, the world has plenty of despair to go around and not a lot of hope to spare. Life is pretty tough for many people, much of the time – and then eventually all humans die. This is the reality of the human experience in a nutshell.

The heartfelt cry, “It’s finished!” could be taken in two different ways. It could be taken as a cry of defeat. It could reflect a life tragically cut short, and the admission that goals will never be reached. It could speak of a promising venture that goes bankrupt, and the CEO conceding to his team that the dream is dead. On the other hand, it could be a declaration of success.

If you are writing a letter on the theme of practical Christian living – on what it is to live out real Christian faith – where do you finish? What is the final emphasis that you leave with your readers? For James, the answer to that question is simple; the answer is prayer. As James closes his letter, he emphasizes that Christians should be, above all, a people of prayer.

Have you ever walked through times of difficulty and opposition—even seasons of mistreatment--at the hands of unbelievers? Christians have faced injustice for centuries. How should Christians respond to pressure, to trial, to difficulty?