Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—his name is the Lord—and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. —Psalm 68:4-5.
I can’t help but think of what James, Jesus’ brother, said:
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 (James 1:27).
Jesus demonstrated the Father’s heart for the marginalized in his ministry by making time to love, serve, heal, welcome, and bless widows (Luke 21:1-4), lepers (Mark 1:40-45), children (Matthew 19:13-15), the afflicted (John 5:3-8), and the oppressed (Matthew 4:24). Now it is up to us, his people, his disciples, to continue the work of Jesus as his people, his bodily presence in our world today.