2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Many good people have a developed sense of charity--they give to the poor out of their abundance. Often this is tied to their ability to produce. You might hear them say "There is more where that came from." They believe that they will be able to work hard and produce more. When the inability to produce comes or times are hard people may feel the need to pull back, be careful, even hoard what they have. They talk about being frugal. Seniors often find themselves in this position. With the economy unsteady their savings seem less secure. What seemed like a lot of money now seems barely sufficient to last any time at all. Homes are being foreclosed all around them and their own homes, once seen as valuable equity have lost their value and eat up resources in repairs and upkeep. It is time to batten down the hatches, or is it?
Paul's sense of economy is very different. It is an economy in which each person gives what he has and receives what he needs. In this economy there is no shame in being the receiver of what we do not have. But we too are to generously give what we have. What might that look like in today's world? A senior woman who no longer has the ability to climb the step stool to change a light bulb humbly asks for and graciously accepts the help of a neighbor. Her friend down the street has just lost her husband to cancer, so she listens to her grief and comforts her in her sorrow. A widow accept some finanical help when needed and teaches the neighbor child how to make her special recipe for chocolate chip cookies. There is no system of like for like repayment. Everyone is generous with what he or she has and willing to recieve from others what they don't have.
"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what your need. Then there will be equality, as it is written 'He who gathered much did not have too much and he who gathered littled did not have too little'" (v. 13-15).
In the United States our sense if independence has undermined the early Christian practice of generosity. We believe that we are to depend on ourselves, to spare others from having to be responsible for us. We often feel shame because we have needs that we cannot take care of ourselves. Because of this we have seniors who choose between their food and their medicine. We have those who fail to keep doctor's appointments because they are loath to ask a neighbor for a ride. We fail to mention our needs so that even those who would like to give or share are unable to do so. In our day it is a real challenge to accept and practice Paul's concept of generosity. It is definitely counter-cultural! Let us ask God to help us not to think of generosity only in terms of money. May we become people who give of all our resources as we are able and receive from others all that we need as well.
