Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬
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.

Riding a bike is a good analogy for some of the things we see in these passages. When riding a bike, a few things are important: 1) Balance, 2) Steering, and 3) Pedaling. They all tend to work together to help each other.

You have better balance if you can make small, frequent steering adjustments with the handlebar. If you pedal faster, you are less likely to fall to the side. And if you lean to the side it will impact both your pedaling and steering.

Our verse in Hebrews talks about loving each other not just in words, but more in deeds. There are three things that play off of each other in our ability to live a life pleasing to God, like riding a bike. 1) love each other well. 2) Don’t just help those who help you or be kind to those who are kind to you. Reach out to societal outcasts (strangers) or those falsely accused or persecuted. Meet their needs and seek to suffer with them, in a way — try to empathize with them.

The passage in James tells us to 3) look after outcasts too, orphans and widows. The implication here is that not being polluted by the world is not a retraction exercise, but an outreach into the world with God’s power exercise. All of these disciplines or efforts play together and support each other, just like pedaling, steering, and balance help you ride a bike.

How can I model the love of Christ in my life? How can I love beyond the limits of my abilities, with the power of God’s Spirit? Did Jesus pause when God called him into service? No, he surged into it and trusted God to provide what he needed.

Lord, teach me to love with the greater love found in your heart. I long to see you move in the hearts of those around me.