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“The prayer of faith will save the sick.” So much suffering has been created by the application of this verse. Many people have entered grief with fear and guilt in their hearts—that their faith was not strong enough to save their loved one from death. This scripture is meant to be encouraging. And yet it is so human of us to turn it against ourselves, or against those around us, when prayers don’t create the outcome for which we long.

This passage contains one of Jesus’ most powerful questions: “But who do you say I am?” It also contains the striking directive, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take their cross and follow me.” These two lines compel each of us to ask ourselves not only who we think Jesus really is but also just how far we are willing to go to follow him.

A dear friend of mine always carried a camera with him. Sometimes two. These were high-quality, professional-grade devices with large, specialized lenses. Periodically he would abruptly snap a camera up to his face and take a shot of something that caught his eye.

A wise pastor and mentor who spent a significant amount of time in Kenya once shared her favorite Kenyan proverb with me: “When you pray, always remember to move your feet.” If there is a book of the Bible that embodies this exhortation, it is the epistle of James.