Remember the poor.

"...they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was exactly what I was eager to do."

(Galatians 2:9b-10)

The earliest Christians were all Jews. Including Jesus! They'd all grown up in the faith and customs of Judaism, observing the dietary regulation, practicing the appointed traditions and (if male) were all circumcised. So when Christianity started to spread beyond the Jewish community, they were faced with a dilemma: do new converts need to go through the Jewish rituals and customs, or not?

The apostle Paul grew up a very strict and devout Jew. In fact, he actively persecuted the early Christians. But when God grabbed hold of his life Paul became one of the most ardent agents for Christ! He also felt compelled to reach out to the non-Jews (aka "Gentiles")... in part because the Jews gave him such a difficult time whenever he tried speaking with them.

Eventually, Paul worked out a deal with the early leaders that he need not require any new coverts to become circumcised, eat kosher, or perform Jewish rituals. Instead, they asked that they simply, "remember the poor."

Wow. Bottom line: what's required of us as followers of Jesus? What's our minimum activity? Remember the poor. Be generous to those in need. Work together to help care for the most vulnerable in society.

We'd all do well to remember that today.