“Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.”
-from the Book of James (chapter 1, verse 27.)

I’ve heard a lot of talk during the last few years about how so many people throughout the world are fed up with religion. The conversation usually ends with someone saying how people don’t really have a problem with Jesus, they just don’t want anything to do with religion. I think I understand at least a little bit how these people feel. I’ve even found myself thinking at times that Jesus could have such a profound impact on this world if religion wasn’t always getting in the way. But after reading what James has to say, I’m inclined to think that it’s not religion, but rather my definition of religion that causes a problem for others. See I’ve mistakenly labeled everything from institutional church to Christian bookstores to “inspirational” t-shirts to televangelists as religious. James reminds me that you can’t separate Jesus from religion. Religion, real religion, is living in the way of Jesus. It’s doing the things that Jesus did. More specifically it’s standing up and caring for those who can’t stand up for themselves. Now, I may be wrong, but I think that’s the kind of thing that most people in the world could get on board with.