If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
— James 1:26-27 (ESV)—
Throughout the last year, I have read the Old Testament, and the theme that stuck out to me the most that is threaded throughout the Torah, the historical books, the poetic/philosophical books, and the prophets is this: the duty of the individual and the community – whether religious or the nation-state – to lift up and empower the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the lowly. The verse I have chosen is one of the many verses in the New Testament that encapsulates this theme, and it is representative of the second half of Jesus’ great commandment: to love God and neighbor.
I’ve noticed oftentimes in Christianity that there are one of two extremes when it comes to examining the gospel: either (a) one focuses only on having ‘correct’ beliefs and not sinning or (b) one focuses only on pursuing social justice. However, St. James calls us to both. Being orthodox in your beliefs is, of course, extremely important as you cannot rightly be called a ‘Christian’ without being orthodox; however, your orthodoxy is completely irrelevant if you do not love others', meaning – as St. James states – keeping your tongue bridled and visiting orphans and widows. It is quite easy to hold orthodoxy… orthopraxy is arguably the most difficult part of being a Christian.
To be frank, it can be quite scary to step out into the world and help and pursue justice for the outcasts in our society. What if I don’t know what to say? What if I’m attacked? You might even think: what if associating with sinners will affect me spiritually? However, do you not have the creator of the universe on your side? Does he not dwell within you? Will not the Holy Spirit guide you if you simply ask him? Regardless, is it simply commanded of you by the Scriptures, this is an expectation of the Christian. Lifting up the lowly around you and loving them is a natural expression of the Christian faith and of Christlikeness. Why else would Jesus spend so much time in his ministry helping people? And why else would this be an aspect of God’s kingdom predicted by the Hebrew prophets?
However, how can you actually practice this, especially in an organized (and hopefully safe) way? Well, let’s look at the first thing St. James says, “anyone [who] does not bridle his tongue [...] this person’s religion is worthless.” Lift people up with your words, and do not tear people down. What you utter is extremely important, and your words do have an effect on other people whether they tell you or not. Furthermore, volunteering is a fantastic way to help others. You could volunteer at a hospice center for example, and form connections with elderly people who are likely very lonely. Furthermore, regarding something relevant to Minneapolis, you could volunteer at ICCM who goes out into the city to give food and clothing to those living on the streets and/or in poverty. Alongside this, you can advocate for political policies that help the poor (and arguably all in society) such as universal healthcare, food stamps, and more robust welfare programs. Helping those in need is something that you can definitely do, it just requires some effort to find organizations and push past barriers in your mind.
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Heavenly Father, empower us to aid those who are in need. Show us those who need our help and your grace: the poor, the fatherless, the outcasts of our society. Alongside this, empower and inspire our communities to give priority to helping others, and give us the words to encourage others. Amen.