Religion: Pure and Faultless

i write this from the portland airport, on my phone, after traveling for roughly seventeen hours..and still not at my final destination (the justice conference in bend). for some reason it won't let me capitalize letters. sorry. but, anyways. i've been thinking of a bible verse that i read in a book on my first flight. james 1:27. we tend to quote the first part often, "religion that god our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress" but i had never realized the second half of this verse,"and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world". i never noticed this before but there it is, no period comma or anything. it made me realize that one of the ways we keep from being polluted by this world is to take care of those in need. when we take care of someone is distress we do more than donate money. we get involved. we're invested. by entering their world, ours is put into perspective and the things we thought we needed aren't as important. we become less polluted by the world and purified through laying down our lives for our brothers.