Charity, as seen by C.S. Lewis
Posted by TheGiveInitiative
Whether you like reading C.S. Lewis or not, he has a way of delivering a message that at least gets you thinking. I recently read a short definition on Charity, or Alms written by him, take it for what it's worth:
Some people nowadays say that charity ought to be unnecessary and that instead of giving to the poor we ought to be producing a society in which there were no poor to give to. They may be quite right in saying that we ought to produce this kind of society. But if anyone thinks that, as a consequence, you can stop giving in the meantime, then he has parted with all Christian morality. I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them. I am speaking now of 'charities' in the common way. Particular cases of distress among your own relatives, friends, neighbors or employees, which God, as it were, forces upon your notice, may demand much more: even to the crippling and endangering of your own position. For many of us the great obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for money, but in our fear—fear of insecurity...Sometimes our pride also hinders our charity: we are tempted to spend more than we ought on the showy forms of generosity (tipping, hospitality) and less than we ought on those who really need our help.
Obviously C.S. Lewis is a well-know Christian author, however, regardless of religous belief, I believe he makes some valid points here. Are we giving enough? Are we giving to those who really need the help? Why are we giving?
Give it some thought.
