We don’t have to look far to find the vulnerable in our society in need of protection. These are the orphans and widows – individuals without someone to personally advocate and actively care for them in their time of need. And it’s our duty of love to stand in this gap.
Of course, this includes the fatherless kids in our communities. And we might choose to be more involved in mentoring the youth, speaking up at school board meetings, or simply providing space for them to play and be kids. But it can also include offering our strength to anyone who needs extra support and guidance in life – a listening ear, an encouraging word, or the generous sharing of our life’s wisdom.
And widows would be those in which our presence and active involvement makes a world of difference. This might be through home repairs, sharing a meal, or even simply in allowing ourselves to be served by them. Whatever it looks like, we don’t allow individuals to become isolated and neglected from the loving presence of our community.
To be sure, love calls us to protect the vulnerable among us. And this doesn’t have to be in grand sweeping gestures or just for those in remote parts of the world or underprivileged parts of the country. In fact, we tend to neglect those in need right in front of us because they don’t appear like the orphans and widows we have in mind.
Love is less concerned about technical definitions and more about meeting needs and advancing the good of those in our life. And this means offering our strength to those in need when there is no one else to do so on their behalf.
In the end, use your strength to protect the vulnerable among you – the orphans and widows in whatever form they happen to take.
Photo by juan pablo rodriguez on Unsplash
