“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27
Scripture makes it clear that the church must bring the message of salvation and also be concerned about the social issues of our day. On His earthly sojourn, Jesus spoke about giving to the poor (Matthew 19:21). His brother, James, wrote that God expects orphans and widows to be cared for in the community of faith. We are called to be actively involved with the social issues surrounding us.
The woman we now know as Mother Teresa heard the call of God as a child of 12. She left home at 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, eventually going to India to live among the poor and those dying with HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis. In time this order, called Missionaries of Charity, grew to 4,500 workers serving in 133 countries. They ran soup kitchens, dispensaries, schools, and orphanages, all dedicated to giving free service to the poorest of the poor.
There are probably people around you living in conditions that hold little hope. Your compassion shown in their lives may feel like a welcomed, divine interruption.
The woman we now know as Mother Teresa heard the call of God as a child of 12. She left home at 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, eventually going to India to live among the poor and those dying with HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis. In time this order, called Missionaries of Charity, grew to 4,500 workers serving in 133 countries. They ran soup kitchens, dispensaries, schools, and orphanages, all dedicated to giving free service to the poorest of the poor.
There are probably people around you living in conditions that hold little hope. Your compassion shown in their lives may feel like a welcomed, divine interruption.
Scripture Focus
James 1:19-27
Insight
“You see that his faith and action were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (James 2:22)
Bible In A Year
- Job 35-36
- Psalm 59
- Luke 22
