6月2日
清洁的虔诚
在神我们的父面前，那清洁没有玷污的虔诚，就是看顾在患难中的孤儿寡妇，并且保守自己不沾染世俗 。
雅各书1:27
当基督教盛行时，它无疑对这个世界有百利无一害。然而，具有讽刺性的是，基督教不是因为顺应世俗而盛行，而是因为其反世俗文化性。基督的文化是“不必偿还的给与”，与“有来有往”的世界正好相反。在这个世界，你花钱，你才可以消费；你投资时间和精力，你才会有某种回报。这就是世界的运作方式。
但是，想象一下，如果你没有钱，不能投资；如果你只能完全依赖别人的恩惠和救济才能生存，你怎么办呢？如果你是个孤儿？如果你是个寡妇、鳏夫？如果你又老又穷？按照这个世界的法则，你就很难生存。正是在这样的现实环境中，基督的门徒从根本上帮助了那些被社会贬低的“底层人”。
今日祷告：
主耶稣，求祢让我不沾染世俗。 阿们。
June 2 – Pure Religion
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
JAMES1:27
When Christianity is at its best, it is undeniably beneficial for the world. The irony, however, is that Christianity is as its best is when it is countercultural. Spending yourself on behalf of people who cannot pay you back goes against the give-and-receive culture in which we live. If you give
money, you get something in return. If you invest your time or energy, you deserve some kind of return on your investment. The world operates this way on a daily basis.
But imagine if you did not have much to give or were unable to invest. Imagine if you lived at the mercy of others, in a mode of complete dependency. Imagine if your parents died while you were a child. And imagine if your spouse passed away while you were elderly and poor. Your opportunity to survive according to the world’s standards would be diminished. It is into this reality that the followers of Jesus enter, radically uplifting those society belittles as “the least of these.”
Pray for the Day:
Lord Jesus, make me undeniably radical. Amen.
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