“Religion” has gotten a bad rap; it usually follows "bad" or "dead" in a sentence describing strict rule-followers, rigid and unyielding in their behavior and their judgments. Movies and television shows now regularly depict religious people as the villains who speak piously while doing unspeakable evil. Even Christians distance themselves from the word saying, “I follow Jesus, but I’m not religious.”
With all these negative connotations, we get caught by surprise when James calls his readers to practice “pure religion” and live according to “the law of liberty.” Such people treat others fairly, showing no partiality or preferential treatment on the basis of wealth or status. They have control over their speech, only speaking words that build others up and never cursing or destroying others with the power of their words. They visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep themselves unstained from the world. Their interior life of faith is congruent with their exterior life of good deeds and right relationships. They walk the talk.
Re-ligio means to re-ligament or reconnect. This series will help us reconnect with God, with others, and with ourselves. When a pandemic, an economic crisis, and an election year seek to divide us, our nation needs congruent Christians who demonstrate the radical connectedness of everything in the power of Jesus Christ.
With all these negative connotations, we get caught by surprise when James calls his readers to practice “pure religion” and live according to “the law of liberty.” Such people treat others fairly, showing no partiality or preferential treatment on the basis of wealth or status. They have control over their speech, only speaking words that build others up and never cursing or destroying others with the power of their words. They visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep themselves unstained from the world. Their interior life of faith is congruent with their exterior life of good deeds and right relationships. They walk the talk.
Re-ligio means to re-ligament or reconnect. This series will help us reconnect with God, with others, and with ourselves. When a pandemic, an economic crisis, and an election year seek to divide us, our nation needs congruent Christians who demonstrate the radical connectedness of everything in the power of Jesus Christ.
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