“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.” (James 1:27)

The Orphan Child

I hunger.

I thirst.

I cry out.

Who hears?

I am alone.

Homeless.

Orphaned.

Fatherless.

My reality.

A statistic?

Who is responsible for these children? We are told in God’s Word that the responsibility for their care is OURS.

But we may not see these children, some would contend. Surely, others who are closer to these orphans are more responsible?

Our justifications, claims, assertions, contentions do not exempt us from the calling to “look after orphans and widows in their distress.” I am as responsible as anyone who physically lives nearby and passes the orphan child living on the street.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus was asked to define who is our neighbor. He told the parable of a man who was beaten, robbed, and left to die. Three men passed by this man but only one stopped to help. Jesus asked, “Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” ³⁷ “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37)

Let us “go and do the same” to those in need. We cannot pass them by. We are called to be compassionate like Christ.

We are His hands, His arms, His feet, His eyes, His ears, His voice, His heart in this life. We have the way and means to give to these children and help care for them, as we are called to do. Through organizations like Orphan’s Lifeline International, we can financially offer an orphan child a meal, clothing, shelter, survival.

 Together, we can give hope to the orphan child who cries out, waiting to be heard.

 (Sharon G. Tate blog 11/04/18) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word