Generosity
“Give
what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow
I have been so impressed
with the stories about the US churches that have raised 34.4-million
dollars and paid off the medical debts of thousands of people.
Apparently, 18 churches around the country, including one (St. Luke's
Episcopal) right here in Birmingham, have bought up the massive
medical debt from collection companies for pennies on the dollar, and
then forgiven all of it. The recipients receive letters in the mail
telling them that their debt has been paid in full. Can you imagine
how that feels to folks who are staggered by medical bills they
cannot pay! And, can you imagine churches acting the way that Jesus
espoused? It's revolutionary! What a way to celebrate Christmas!
Actually, according to
the World Giving Index, the US has been the most charitable nation
for the last decade. But then, we are a large, “rich” nation. So, here's an interesting tidbit—the second most generous, and
sometimes even tied with the US, is Myanmar (Burma), which is not at
all a wealthy country. And tied with Myanmar is New Zealand, with a
population of only 4.7 million people—fewer than now live in
Atlanta. Generosity is not a calculation of wealth, but of soul. In
the words of Mother Teresa, “If you can't feed a hundred people,
then just feed one.” Give what you can and that will be
sufficient.
This time of year, with
Black Friday and Cyber Monday still sizzling in our ears, and with the
season of the Nativity straight ahead, may be a good time to think about what
role generosity plays in our lives. Do we truly need that sixty-inch
screen, or could that money be put to better use? Can the kids do
without the latest, hottest toy, or might we donate that money to a
shelter for children. Socks and jackets for homeless folks seems like
a Jesus-kind-of-thing to me, and after all, it's his birth we
celebrate. Isn't it?
In the Spirit,
Jane
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