CARPE/DIEM is the urban ministry of Glad Tidings Assembly of God, devoted specifically to serving the people of Reading with the love of Christ. Since 2004, we have been involved in over 30 outreaches each year.  Follow the “About” link for more information.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  – James 1:27

James is great at motivating us to action, and these inspirational words are often quoted as a reminder that our Christianity must be active in addressing the afflictions of those less fortunate.  This scripture can also be used as a slogan for urban outreach, a validation that if we minister to victims of the social tribulations of our time, we have somehow achieved the pinnacle of Christianity.  However, the second half of the statement by James is sometimes overlooked: to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 

Purity is more than just a requirement of a robust religious disposition — it is an integral ingredient in our ability to minister to the afflicted.  We stultify our ministry effectiveness when we allow ourselves to be tainted by the concerns and enticements of this world.  John warns, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:15-16).  Spots or impurities in our Christian witness will defile us and choke our efforts to communicate God’s love.  Anyone can feed a hungry child or provide assistance to a widow, but only an unspotted Christian can effectively bear witness of God’s love and the hope that is available through Jesus Christ.