Tow Trucks and Pure Religion

The other day I was driving on a very busy street near my work and I happened to see a car on the side of the road. Most of us do everyday; we see cars broken down all the time. This time as I drove past this car and then the tow truck, I saw something different. This idea of a tow truck struck me. I asked myself what is its purpose? I thought and would suggest it is to help those broken down, stranded, or in need from the happenstance of their vehicle. As I thought of this passing them by I instantly remembered James 1:27, for whatever reason. It’s states: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”(NIV) Now we could of course take this literally and I do think we should; our “religion” should be to take care of orphans and widows in need. But let’s think about what it means to take care of those in need from an everyday mindset.

When I passed that broken-down car, my mind took a shift. I realized that I, having the Holy Spirit dwell in me, need to be different than the world. I need to be like that tow truck. We need to be tow trucks, aiding those in need. Those we know and those we don’t know. Those on the sides of roads, waiting for help. I think many people would pass on by casually never thinking twice about helping. Now I don’t suggest that every broken-down car you pass you should stop; we do have obligations that I know God wants us to honor and timing would not allow. But what I do want to suggest is our desire to see “pure religion” in our thoughts transcribing them into actions. If we look further in that verse in James he continues: “ …to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” I actually love the New King James Version of this verse: “to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Dwell on that for a second. We who takes care of or oversees the cares of those in need do so to be unspotted, unpolluted by the world. Think of that. Really think. Tow trucks. We can do this. We can act as a tow truck would. To be unpolluted, to shift our mindset from this world. We can act out what is a “pure religion” to God just by helping others.

Helping others can be a huge task, but take it to your circle of friends. I remember having amazing roommates at one point after college who when I was in need or ran out of money, they would “spot” me. This happened a lot when we would go out to eat. The brothers I lived with lived out this idea. Now you might think that is elementary or irrelevant, but let me ask, who can you help, within your circle of friends? How can you help? Maybe sharing, maybe giving, maybe honoring your word, maybe praying for them. It first starts with your mindset. Let it be changed.

As your mindset begins to see how to help others in need, let us not forgot why we’re helping. Our motives need to be pure, just like our “religion” as James calls it. Like James says, we do this to be unspotted from the world, changed from what how the world thinks. But now read the parable of Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25 31-46. Do these words not resound in your head: “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.”? Who do you see hungry, or thirsty? What strangers do you invite in or clothe? Do you visit those who are in trouble? This parable has a difficult calling. It’s a difficult calling because of how we must continually reshape our thinking for those who want to inherit eternal life; those who are Christ-followers.

I know as Christians we don’t like to use the term “religion.” And in fact, the only time it's used in the Bible is in James. But think of this, the world thinks in terms of “religions.” They classify beliefs, make associations and distinctions, box ideas in and I ask and challenge us to prove our “religion” worthy by helping those in need. Take care of orphans and widows in times of distress. Or maybe stop by a broken down car, ask if they need a tow.