True faith demands not only our words, but our actions.

活出信仰不只是口說，還需要付諸行動。

Look after orphans and widows in their distress. James 1:27

看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦。-雅各書1章27節

The phone rang in the night for my husband, a minister. One of the prayer warriors in our church, a woman in her seventies who lived alone, was being taken to the hospital. She was so ill that she was no longer eating or drinking, nor could she see or walk. Not knowing if she would live or die, we asked God for His help and mercy, feeling particularly concerned for her welfare. The church sprang into action with a round-the-clock schedule of visitors who not only ministered to her but showed Christian love to the other patients, visitors, and medical staff.

我先生是位傳道人，一天夜裡，我們接到一通找他的電話。原來是教會里的一位老姐妹住院了。這位獨居的姐妹是我們的代禱勇士，今年已七十多歲。她的病情嚴重，無法進食飲水，甚至失去視覺和行動能力。我們不知道她是否能捱得過，除了懇求上帝的幫助和眷顧，也特別關心如何照顧她的需要。教會及時成立了探訪小組，不但定時輪流到醫院去照顧她，同時也用基督徒的愛關心其他的病人、訪客和醫療人員。

James’s letter to the early Jewish Christians encouraged the church to care for the needy. James wanted the believers to go beyond just listening to the Word of God and to put their beliefs into action (1:22–25). By citing the need to care for orphans and widows (v. 27), he named a vulnerable group, for in the ancient world the family would have been responsible for their care.

雅各在寫給早期猶太基督徒的書信中，也鼓勵教會關懷有需要的人。雅各希望這些信徒不只是聆聽上帝的話語，更要將他們的信仰付諸行動（1章22-25節）。在信中，雅各提到要看顧患難中的孤兒和寡婦（27節），因為在當時的社會，小孩和婦女都依賴家人的照顧。

How do we respond to those who are at risk in our church and community? Do we see caring for the widows and orphans as a vital part of the exercise of our faith? May God open our eyes to the opportunities to serve people in need everywhere.

在我們的教會和社群中，也有許多身處困境的人，我們該如何回應呢？我們是否將看顧寡婦和孤兒，視為實踐信仰的重要部分呢？願上帝開啟你我的眼睛，讓我們看到人們的需要，無論在何處都能把握機會服事他人。

Father God, Your heart beats for the vulnerable and for those who are alone. Help us to love Your people as You love them, for we are made in Your image.

天父上帝，禰心疼那些脆弱和孤寂的人。
求禰幫助我們，能像禰一樣愛禰的子民，
因為我們都是按禰形象所造的。

James 1:22-27

New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror

24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

27 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.

雅各書1：22-27

1:22 只是你們要行道，不要單單聽道，自己欺哄自己。

1:23 因為聽道而不行道的，就像人對著鏡子看自己本來的面目，

1:24 看見，走後，隨即忘了他的相貌如何。

1:25 惟有詳細察看那全備、使人自由之律法的，並且時常如此，這人既不是聽了就忘，乃是實在行出來，就在他所行的事上必然得福。

1:26 若有人自以為虔誠，卻不勒住他的舌頭，反欺哄自己的心，這人的虔誠是虛的。

1:27 在　神我們的父面前，那清潔沒有玷汙的虔誠，就是看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且保守自己不沾染世俗。