True Religion

Even though we've started a new study, I'm a bit stuck on something from the previous study on James.  One of the passages that was emphasized the most was 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. 

We spent a lot of time on that.  Stressing the importance of taking care of orphans and widows.  But it bothered me a bit as the class was asked if and how they had fulfilled that verse.  I know several widows.  I can't say I've known any widows that needed "looking after".  I'm not even sure what that means.  I pondered if James  pointed out widows and orphans in particular because in that culture those 2 groups of people were the most helpless and forgotten.  I wondered if we could replace those 2 groups with "prostitutes and homeless".  Or "drug addicts and prisoners".  Or any combo of forgotten and looked-down upon groups of people in today's society.  Or are those literally the 2 groups of people we should really focus on?  I intend on writing my widowed friends and asking them exactly what they need the most and what they find most helpful, but what do you guys think?