Math

I'm a fairly smart young man, but there are people around me much more knowledgable about the bible.  When they read it they see things i don't and i have wanted to learn how to do this forever.  So i've been learning a lot about the bible from college and its helped a lot.  Finally i think i scratched the surface of understanding some of the bible.


I'm pretty good with math and numbers but the other day i took math too far. I've been smart in this subject my whole life, even tho i hate it. The other day while reading my bible, I asked myself what connected it all together.  What i found Planked my mind.


I was reading the first chapter of James.  I know this chapter and i've even spoken from it before.  I've studied it from a young age and even memorized it at one point. Still it all seemed like a bunch of random things thrown together that didn't add up till this day. 


So while reading this chapter, for the first time in months, I started seeing numbers. (Not the verse numbers) I saw the words presenting a problem and solving it. And it happened over and over again.  Kinda like math would and they all seemed like different things till i reached the last verse.  This is when everything clicked. It said "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." They had one problem that all these answers pointed to.  


This is a letter written to jews, a very religions people. They would have had this question coming into the christian world, "How can i be religious now?" They were still asking for help to keep this relevant to what they had been taught their whole lives. The whole book is a long formula to having religion in the christian faith.  


To this point people knew how to do all the rituals but they didn't take care of people.  All the book covers is how to preserve and how to treat other people.  Super simple message of our entire faith right there.  "Hey, stay faithful to God cause He is to you and treat people well." thats sooooooo simple. Thats what Jesus said is the two focuses of our faith.  


Yet, I miss this very often too.  I was out to dinner with a good friend last night.  They were telling me how their life had a lot of downs and few ups.  But all of what happened, happened while we still knew each other.  I wasn't there for them, and couldn't but i wasn't even praying for them.  I did feel convicted about this and it reminded me of James again.  If i want to be religious i need to care about the people i can and pray for those i can't do anything for.


Me caring for people + my personal relationship to God= My new life with Christ
Thats my religion and one i can support.