“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.”

—

And. 

Some people need to hear that pure religion is taking care of the orphans and widows.

Some people need to hear that pure religion is to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

All of us need to hear both.

Lately I feel like it’s one or the other. Either you’re compassionate or you’re clean. Either you’re generous or you’re Godly. Either you’re helping or you’re holy. 

But that’s not the way it breaks down. God wants His people to care about the oppressed and to live in a way that defies the values of our world.

Both.