Mark Twain once remarked that it was not the things that he did not understand in the Bible that bothered him, it was the things that he did understand. Mr. Twain was a wise man.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. –James 1:27 (TNIV)
The writer of the book of James makes this amazing statement about a religion that is “pure” and “faultless”. The author opens the door to the idea that religion, in its proper expression, is not cold and lifeless, but is actually fresh and life giving.
“Religion” in its proper expression is not about living a perfect life, nor about being able to check off the “religious to-do list,” but about living the life God wants us to live. It is about living a life in which we “follow God’s example. It is a life of ”caring about and taking action on the same things that Jesus did.
Time and time again, the Scriptures display God’s heart for the last and the least of society. A heart for the poor is very close to the heart of God.
It should be to mine too.
Perhaps one of the greatest legacies we can leave the next generation of Christians is a strong expression of caring for those who are the last and least in society.
Wouldn’t it be great, if rather than being known for what it stands against, the people of God were known for what they stand for?
What if we, the Church, were best known for our love…for each other and for the world around us?
What are some practical ways in which you can care for the last and the least in your own sphere?
Blessings,
Thora
“Wouldn’t it be great, if rather than being known for what it stands against, the people of God were known for what they stand for?”
Love it!