As people, we tend to become judge and juror towards those in need. It is part of our fallen nature to resist parting with our goods, even if someone else is hurting.
But when we send money to a charitable organization that gives us a tax write off, we’ll do so willingly. We can justify it because it means we have less taxes to pay on our totals at the end of the fiscal year.
They have become an object of tax relief, not an individual who needs compassion and mercy.
Corporations have fallen into this trap willingly. Especially with the amount of taxes paid just for the privilege of running a business in the United States.
But the dilemma this causes leaves those who truly need help begging for dignity as human beings. They have become an object of tax relief, not an individual who needs compassion and mercy.
Charity…
Real charity is a selfless act of compassion toward those who are unable to do for themselves. Personally provide food and water, shelter, clothing. Show them love by touching them where they hurt the most.
Charity doesn’t mean simply giving dollars to an organization, although that is part of the equation. It is a heartfelt desire to assist others and lift them out of their misery. Showing them that they are important gives them hope.
But one must remember that giving should be to those in need. Directly if possible. With this perception, often it no longer becomes a tax write-off, but a real-world way of touching people’s lives without expecting any compensation for the act.
Who to give to?
Patting one’s self on the back for giving to little starving children in Africa does little for those living in their own backyard.
There are three personal examples I can give of real charity, and one that was not.
Generosity of the heart…
A few years after losing my spouse, we ended up losing all our food supply. Weevils destroyed all our pet and human foods in the pantry overnight after an unexpected heat wave hit the area. The fridge was almost empty, as was my bank account.
One of our neighbors notified the VFW without our knowledge. We heard a knock at our door. Two kindly gentlemen set down several boxes of food on our countertop.
For the next week or so, we didn’t starve. It moved me deeply to think that someone saw our need and set about helping us get through it.
Food pantry…
After the week was up, the situation didn’t improve. Begging at food pantries and church kitchens with two little children in tow was my only option.
And it was humiliating.
One of those locations exemplified something completely different from compassion.
None of us were spoken to, so neither who we were nor our current situation was of any interest.
The box of food came with a condition. We sat on benches, listening to a lecture on salvation. No one asked our situation. Our current situation was of no interest.
We each received a food box. Foods filled the boxes. Old, wilted vegetables, some stale bread, and a few other items. Most of it was inedible.
But we had no choice. No box, no food.
For a few weeks we continued to go.
Then the holiday came…
Thanksgiving came. We were asked if we needed food for the holiday. Placing our name on the list, we had to arrive at exactly 9am to get our share.
With car trouble and getting children into the car, we ran late. Because I did not arrive on time, the woman had given my share to someone else.
As I walked slowly back to the car with the children, I was crying, not knowing what to feed them during the coming week.
…my share was given to someone else.
I heard behind me the woman who had turned us away.
“Wait. I’ll give you this other lady’s box. She doesn’t need it anyway. She’s living a sinful life, so you can have it.”
I began to turn it down because I felt it unfair to receive food designated for someone else. The woman insisting I take the box, and placed it in my car.
Angels from heaven…
A while later, I spoke to an aquaintance letting them know what was going on. She told me about a Jewish couple who were active in giving food and supplies to the needy. I contacted them and was directed to their location.
I was stunned.
Their large garage had a wall lined with refrigerators and freezers packed with perishables. Tables help treats and breads that seemed like it went on for miles. A supply of clothing was spread out on tables as well.
It was like paradise after a famine!
The couple quietly said, “Pick out whatever you need, as much as you want.”
I was stunned. Because of the past treatments and rejections, I hesitated. The wife began to help choose foods and items for me, encouraging me to take whatever I needed.
It was amazing. They really cared about my family and me. And they showed it by actively giving us the necessities that were missing in our lives.
A new friendship was formed…
After a few trips there, I had gotten to know the wife fairly well. She took me inside her house and gave me clothes for the kids. We would sit and talk while the children played.
It was delightful!
But deep inside I felt like I was a taker, and wanted to do something for all their kindness.
She looked at me and said, “I’m not worried about you. You’ll make it through this. It’s the other people that concern me.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because they don’t want to change.”
The reality of charity
The three experiences taught me something about what real charity is.
True charity was shown by the first and last couples. They gave from their hearts, never desiring anything in return. For them, they wanted to show how much we were important and how much we mattered.
The middle person didn’t realize that what she was doing was hurtful. It not only hurt the credibility of the God she supposedly served, but also undermined the dignity of everyone she encountered.
What to do…
If you know of someone in need, give with compassion. Let the other person know that they are important, and that they are loved. Not because of what they look like or act like, but just because they are.
Everyone has a purpose. Honoring them gives us the ability to share in the purpose – theirs and ours.
Connect with local charities and churches. Help them see the importance of unconditionally supplying the needs of the community. Open up your home, your wallet, your time. Whatever you can.
Or perhaps you can open up your heart in a different way.
Share your journey with others.
Show the experiences you have encountered that demonstrated real charity. Describe what compassion looks like through your eyes. And give hope to those who have lost theirs.
Give feedback in the comments of other ways to reach those in need. Maybe there are creative ways we have not thought about.
And most importantly, perhaps your words can show them that they, even in their hour of need, really matters.