Religion, we’re told, should primarily
be concerned with protecting the
vulnerable and helping us stay pure in
a sinful world. I’ll be the first to admit
that if unprodded I rarely practice the
first two (well, all three if I’m being
honest). I’d much rather leave the
messy business of caring for kids
without parents to someone who “has
a heart for those things.” Likewise,
looking after widows might mean
sympathizing with someone’s painful
loss.
It’s just so much easier to just read
my Bible to myself, then to go and
care for groups of people that have
been forgotten.
So I wonder, when’s the last time you
made a concerted effort to reach out
a widow or an orphan? Is it
something that you do regularly? Do
you have any stories of how you’ve
been blessed by the experience?
What does your church do to practice
what James calls “pure religion”?
be concerned with protecting the
vulnerable and helping us stay pure in
a sinful world. I’ll be the first to admit
that if unprodded I rarely practice the
first two (well, all three if I’m being
honest). I’d much rather leave the
messy business of caring for kids
without parents to someone who “has
a heart for those things.” Likewise,
looking after widows might mean
sympathizing with someone’s painful
loss.
It’s just so much easier to just read
my Bible to myself, then to go and
care for groups of people that have
been forgotten.
So I wonder, when’s the last time you
made a concerted effort to reach out
a widow or an orphan? Is it
something that you do regularly? Do
you have any stories of how you’ve
been blessed by the experience?
What does your church do to practice
what James calls “pure religion”?