Sunday 12 August 2001

Pic of the day: A field ripens in the autumn.

Cheerful giving

If there's one verse in the Bible that organized religion has really destroyed for me, it must be 2. Corinthians 9,7: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

For some reason, it seems that almost every preacher, priest etc who has ever touched that statement has managed to pervert it into the opposite. All for the sake of the Kingdom of God, no doubt. It is hard now to even read what it says. But it's pretty straightforward: If you feel pressured to give a bit extra, don't do it!

The same sentiment is echoed in one of the least controversial and most beloved parts of the christian Bible, 1. Corinthians 13. If I give to the poor everything I own, and give my body to the fire, but I don't have love - I gain nothing. How much clearer can it be?

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I hold the view that Christianity and socialism are matching opposites: Socialism is about demanding, while Christianity is about giving. But in practice you will find that the difference is blurry. Not least thanks to preachers who lack faith in God, so they feel the need to go into people's hearts themselves and drag the money out. But when the time has come for people to give, it is really too late. All you can do then is demand. You rip the immature fruit from the tree, and it is bitter and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

To some lucky people, Christianity is the story of a God who loves them like a caring father (if you've never known a caring father, you'll just have to imagine it) and about an older brother who gave everything for them. To them, giving seems like the divine thing to do. The more you can give and the less you need to extract from others, the closer you come to the divine example. These people experience literally the biblical truth that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Certainly you don't need to be a christian to feel that way. It is natural for humans to start out as parasites, in the most literal way, and gradually go through the change to independence, interdepence and eventually to be depended on. If parents could not give without demanding equal payment, then children would be doomed. The ability to give is a sure sign of maturity. Christianity should help people to move in the right direction, by working from within. It is sad indeed if this seems unfamiliar.

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Giving is not only about money, though that may be the first thing to come to mind. Money is certainly a powerful and flexible medium. But many people have other needs too. Attention, for instance. I have mentioned before how small children will regularly crave attention for no special reason, or for obviously made up reasons. This changes a bit as we grow up, but there are still many people who could need a little bit of attention. A few words, a smile, and most of all perhaps someone who can listen. I must admit I do not always know who they are who need this. But I think it's a lot of people.

Not all of us have a lot of money, and not all have a lot of spare time. But often we have one or the other, or some other small thing that we can share with others. And if we have come to the right stage of life for it, this sharing will gradually become a need. Like a cow whose udder is full of milk, we crave the release of giving to someone who needs it more than us. It starts to feel good in itself, even if no one praises us.

This, I think, is a cheerful giver. Someone who likes to give, who takes pleasure in the happiness of others. To give is an essential part of love. "So did God love the the world, that he gave ..." And so do we love, if we ever do, that we give. And cheerfully.

It can't be forced. It has to mature, to ripen like a fruit. Like a field ripens in the autumn.