Generosity - the Joy of Giving

Generosity
Originally Uploaded by richbeechina

‘Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?’ Ecc 5:10-11  

In today's materialistic society, we are tempted to buy more than we actually need. Going home after shopping, we are carrying lots of shopping bags full of things we will seldom use. We shoppers do not open our eyes. We fail to see that in the same places where the shopping is good, there are also many people who are very poor and needy. Many of our neighbours struggle to put food on the table. Yet we go around wasting our money and showing off our wealth.

Can we give up our spendthrift ways? Can we help others in need? Someone shared:

Why should we give money to save the heathen abroad 

when there are heathens in our own country yet to be saved.

Why should we give money to those in other parts of this country 

when there are needy ones in my own state.

Why should I give to those in other parts of the state 

when there are needy ones in my hometown.

Why should I give to the poor in the town 

when my own church needs the money.

Why should I give to the church 

when I should give to the family

Why should I give to the family what I want for myself.

Why?

Because I am a Christian and I am not a heathen. 

And a Christian is called to be generous.

 

What is generosity? It is the act of helping and giving willingly without expecting anything in return.

The first offerings described in the Bible is that by Cain and Abel in Gen 4:3-7. Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. God’s preference of Abel's to Cain's offering has nothing to do with meat over crop offering. Cain’s attitude in giving back to the Lord mirrors the attitudes of many Christians, we give what we think is good enough for God but not the best, not our first fruits.

Proverbs 3:9-10 encourages us to ‘Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.’ The Christians who expound the prosperity gospel see this as a guarantee to wealth; give and you will get more. Grace and Blessings are not the results of bargain or tit-for-tat. To give generously and not expect anything in return is to honour God.

How can we be generous Christians?

Generosity comes by Purpose: John Wesley in his sermon “The Use of Money " had this to say “The love of money, we know, is the root of all evil; but not the thing itself. The fault does not lie in the money, but in them that use it. It may be used ill: and what may not? But it may likewise be used well: It is full(y) as applicable to the best, as to the worst uses.” The first lesson about being generous is to learn to use money for the good that can come from it. Cor 8:3,4 notes, "For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing the gospel." Instead of giving impulsively, give purposefully. 

Dr David Livingston, missionary and explorer extraordinaire said “I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything I have will advance the interest of the kingdom it shall be used or given away. Only as by giving or using it, I may promote the glory of him who I owe all my hopes in time and eternity.” Another great doctor-missionary Albert Schweitzer said, “One thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” 

Generosity comes by Grace. 2 Cor 8:6 notes “ .. we urge Titus that as he begun so he would also complete this grace in you as well…meaning he would continue to encourage you to give as God’s grace enables you to.” We think that only rich people can be generous. When we meet a truly generous person – we know that it is a gift from God, a person given by God the gift of generosity.  Those who really give a lot don’t boast about it. They can be rich and they can be poor but they know deep inside that they can give only because they have experienced the love of God, the touch of God and they feel gratitude.

Hudson Taylor, a poor medical student, once chanced upon a widow with many children. One child was sick and in need of medicine. Hudson Taylor was filled with compassion; he started to pray. As he was praying he heard a voice whispering to him, “hypocrite.” He continued praying but the voice again said, ‘hypocrite.’ Hudson reached into his pocket and he felt a half a crown which was the next week’s tuition fees. Hudson gave that half crown to the widow and left, not knowing when he would eat his next meal. The next day, in the mail Hudson received a letter from a friend. The friend had written that he was moved to hand some money to Hudson. In that envelop was money seven times that half a crown.

Generosity comes by Giving. 2 Cor 8: 5 “And this they did not as we had expected but they first gave themselves to God and then to us by the will of God." John Wesley in the same sermon on the use of money said, “Let not any man imagine that he has done anything, barely by going thus far, by "gaining and saving all he can," if he were to stop here. All this is nothing, if a man go not forward. Add the third rule to the two preceding. Having, first, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then give all you can."

This is the time to give. The Corona virus pandemic is not just a threat to public health but also to economic livelihood. The requirement to stay at home and to close all businesses in order to break the cycle of transmission will bring untold suffering, loss of income and savings. Many Singaporeans will have difficulty to make ends meet. Furthermore thousands of foreign workers have been afflicted by the virus. Many of them are not able to work as the government shuts down all construction work. These people will need help.

If there is someone who has given generously, we will find in this person someone given to God. Our lives are in God’s hands. If you are truly consecrated to God what do you have to fear? That you have no money?

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 26 Apr 2020

Upon This Rock....

The Garbage City of Cairo

On the 29 Nov 2010, our tourist bus meandered slowly through narrow streets lined by three-storey shop houses. This is Manshiyat Nasir or 'Garbage City', where several thousands of Egyptian Christian families, the Zabaleens, eked out a living by collecting and recycling the refuse of metropolitan Cairo. We could see children playing and families living out their lives amidst garbage piled ceiling high in their homes, spilling out into the streets. We were thankful that the bus windows were all up. Otherwise, none of us could possibly bear with the smell and stench of these streets.

At the turn of the 19th Century, there was an influx of very poor Christians from Upper Egypt to Cairo. They made a living out of collecting and recycling garbage, a common occupation for many a refugee family in many cities in the world. In 1969, the Egyptian government moved the rubbish collectors to this district under the Mugattam Mountain.

The Egyptian official who made the decision to relocate the poor Christians of Cairo here must have a wry sense of humour. Mugattam Mountain was the site of one of the most celebrated miracle in the history of the Egyptian Coptic Church, known as ‘The Moving of the Mountain’.

According to Coptic traditions, during the reign of the first Fatimid Caliph in the 11th Century a challenge was thrown to the Coptic Church. During a debate between the Islamic, Jewish and Christian religious leaders of the day, the Jews invoked the verse 

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain move from here to there, and it will move” Mark 11:23

They demanded the Coptic Patriarch, Abraam to demonstrate this. Al-Muizz, the Muslim Caliph then threatened to persecute the Copts if the church failed in this test.

In a dream, Patriarch Abraam was guided by the Virgin Mary, to seek out a holy man, Simon the shoemaker, who would have the required faith to move this mountain. Recruiting Simon, the Christian congregation and Pope marched to Mugattam Mountain along with the religious leaders of the day. As the congregation prayed, the mountain shook violently as if a strong earthquake had hit the city. Each time the congregation rose from prayer, the mountain was lifted upwards. When they knelt down, the mountain came down with a deafening roar. This happened three times and with each time the rays of sunlight from the other side of the mountain could clearly be seen through the gap.

Then, Caliph Al Muizz proclaimed, “God is Great!” and turning to Abraam he said, “This is enough to prove your faith is true”. From then on, he allowed the Christians freedom to practice their faith in Egypt. The Coptic Church survived one of the severest persecution periods in their history.

Relocating the Zabaleen Christians to live out a miserable existence in a stench-hole at the holy site of the Coptic Church, is an affront and insult to Christianity. However, our Lord Jesus would see otherwise. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Matt 5:3 

For the poor and destitutes on Mugattam Mountain, a modern day miracle started from 1974.

After 3 miles through garbage lined alleys, none of the Singaporean tourists were ready for the sight as our bus turned the last corner. Before us, stood a large monastery, churches, hospital and social community complex which these garbage collectors had hewn out of the barren rock. On the rock faces on the mountain sides, they had sculptured various illustrative episodes described in the Bible.

To understand the miracle that has taken place at this site and the many everyday miracle testimonies in the lives of these simple Christian folks, please view a two part commentary on Youtube, ‘Fr. Samaan and Garbage City (Zabaleen)’. 

A chance meeting of a Christian brother, Farahat (later Father Samaan) and a garbage collector, Edis Agib in 1974 led to the transformation and miracle. Edis had approached Farahat to teach him to become a Christian. This led Farahat to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Zabaleen.


Worshipping at St Sammaan Church



One day whilst standing at the barren summit and staring down at the squatters below, Farahat was overwhelmed by a sense of lost and grief at the impossible situation of the people living on the slopes. As he cried out to God for direction, there was a strong gush of wind and pieces of paper were blown upwards from the garbage below. One of these papers that flew towards him was a tattered page from the Bible 

‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9,10

Farahat persevered and many of the garbage collectors turned to Jesus. A transformation and miracle occurred with God using the hands and labours of these destitute and poor people. The Lord saved them out of most pitiful conditions and allowed them to manifest their faith in a most inspiring and uplifting manner

It is a story of the indomitable faith of one man and the garbage collectors. It reminds me of the faith statement by St Peter, to which Jesus responded, 

“Upon this rock, I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it”.

What did Christ meant when He uttered these words? Christ was not referring to solid rock formations but the unshakeable faith and confession of many Christians throughout history when they proclaimed Him as Lord and Savour just as Peter did. 

I stood there at the mountain top, after visiting two of seven rock churches, staring at the sculptures on hill side and the garbage city below. I realised that the prophecy of Jesus on the establishment and success of His church was and is being fulfilled by the poor labourers on Mugattam mountain in Cairo, “Upon this rock, I’ll build my church”.

When others see with earthly eyes

Just what they want to see

You will see the things that never die

You will know and recognize

By simple child-like faith

The priceless truth that

Others will deny.

When others say I'm just a man

Who likes to dream His dreams

When others call a miracle a myth

You'll listen for eternity

In moments as they pass

And see with spirit eyes

What others miss.

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

And all the powers of Hell itself

Shall never more prevail against it

For Satan's thrones are built on sinking sand

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

Upon this rock of revelation

I'll build a strong and mighty nation

And it shall stand the storms of time

Upon this rock.

If in a simple carpenter

You see the Son of God

If you would chose to lose

When you could win

If you would give your life away

For nothing in return

Then you are where

My kingdom will begin.

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Dec 2010

In November 2010, Bishop Robert Solomon led a group of Christians to tour Egypt and the Sinai visiting historic churches and the desert monasteries 

Eking out a Living

Ting Ting Stall along Jonkers Street Melaka

'Those go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying their sheaves with them.' Psalm 126:6

7 Jul 2007, Pat and I were walking along Jonker’s Street, Melaka. We chanced upon a family of six. The parents were setting up a stall, which was no more than a simple 3-legged wooden stand supporting a cylindrical container about 30 inches in diameter and 5 inches high. Seated on a stool each, they began selling hardened maltose flakes that we used to call ting-ting sweets. The name is derived from the sound of hammer and chisel the hawker makes as he breaks off bits of hardened maltose in the cylindrical receptacle. The children are about ages 7, 6, 3 with the youngest, an infant. 

I was impressed at how the children were able to fend for themselves. The older daughter probably 6 years old carried her baby brother in her arms so securely and comfortably as any adult would. These children could have been playing computer games or watching cartoons on TV on a Saturday night. Instead they were with their parents at a 'pasar malam' along Jonker's Street in Melaka on a Saturday night. Probably the parents wanted every chance to earn an honest living, even if it is meager and the kids must come along in tow.

'Hawkers' uploaded by simalem

That's life but an honest day's living nonetheless. Many people in Malaysia and Singapore try to make an extra dollar working hard setting up make-shift stalls to sell their wares at night. This is called the Pasar Malam. There is a lesson to be learnt here about honest industry as a means to get out of the poverty cycle. 

People who are born to poor families are often trapped. Poor nutrition, poor education, poor work habits, and poor family relationships can easily condemn an individual to perpetual poverty. But those who make their way out, do so by grit and hard work, seizing every opportunity to earn a living. 

St Paul told the church in Colossae,

'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving.' Colossians 3:23 and 24b

He advised the young Timothy, his disciple,

'It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops' 2 Timothy 2:6

Working hard was one of the themes of Paul's advice to the early Christians on practical living

'Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so your will not be dependent on anybody.' 1 Thessalonians 4:10b - 12

The apostle spoke strongly against idleness,

'For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor do we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10

The founder of the Methodist church John Wesley took this advice on practical Christian living very seriously. Wesley preached “Gain all you can. Gain all you can by honest industry. Use all possible diligence in your calling. Lose no time. Every business will afford some employment sufficient for every day and every hour. That wherein you are placed, if you follow it in earnest, will leave you no leisure for silly, unprofitable diversions. You have always something better to do, something that will profit you, more or less. And "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

Not only were the hawker parents at Jonker Street working hard, but by having their four children accompany them, they are imparting to the children a lesson on honest industry. Perhaps these children will seize the opportunities that come their way, opportunities, the parents never had or missed, e.g. a good education. Then they will be able get a better break, a better start. 

Hard work whether secular or spiritual will be blessed and rewarded by God. There is a song, 'Bringing in the Sheaves', that celebrated this fact.

'Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, bringing sheaves with them.' Psalm 126:5-6

1. Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
   Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
   Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
   • Refrain:
     Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
     We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
     Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
     We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
2. Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
   Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
   By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
3. Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
   Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
   When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

As I sat there watching this family in their current struggle, I knew that the example the parents were setting will help this family. Eventually, they will be set free from their current poverty not by the charity of others but by the industry of their own hands.

Lionel

Updated 1st published 20 Jul 2007

I Love You With The Love Of The Lord

 

St Francis and the Leper, Riva Torto, Assisi,  

'I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and will execute justice for the needy.' Psalms 140:12 

In the heyday of mass evangelism in the 1960s and 1970s, there were many evangelistic 'crusades' with an overdrive of direct and confrontational delivery of the gospel message. Pleased with the results, Christians ignored other forms of witnessing such as social concerns and social actions. Christians began to put lifestyle witnessing and doing good works to the back burner. These were considered as less effective in securing God's redemption for unbelievers. 

Such thinking went against the grain of Christian witness and the teachings of Jesus. Jesus said that at the second coming there will be a separation of the sheep from the goats among Christ's followers. He said that the sheep will receive an inheritance in contrast to the goats. The sheep receive merit because they ministered in ways Jesus explained so dramatically:  

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:38-40

Since its beginning, Christianity challenged its members to stand up for the rights of the poor and perform acts of charity. In Acts 6, seven deacons were appointed to look after widows and to see to the distribution of food.

An early church father, St John Chrysostom preached that in order to call oneself a Christian, one must be mindful of one’s neighbor, care for him and his needs. Chrysostom even expected the poor to share what little they had; much like the poor widow who gave her two mites: 

"You say that you are yourself too poor to help others. If that is what is worrying you, listen to me when I tell you that poverty is not a bar to almsgiving, for were you a thousand times poorer than you are you would still not be poorer than the woman who had only a handful of flour or that other who had only a couple of pennies. These, by giving all that they had to the poor, showed that great poverty is not incompatible with great generosity."

As the early Christians faced issues of poverty, so will Christians today. The poor may need a helping hand to get out of a fatalistic future. Mother Teresa said, “All my years of service to the poor have helped me to understand that they (the poor) are precisely the ones who better understand human dignity. If they have a problem, it is not lack of money, but the fact that their right to be treated humanly and with tenderness is not recognised." 

Christians are called upon to change the very structures that took advantage of the poor or kept them in poverty.  In Oct 1981, the Methodist Church in Singapore set up the Methodist Welfare Services. Today the MWS runs 4 nursing homes, 7 senior activity or elder care centres, 5 family services centres, 1 girls' residence and 1 student care centre. Its areas of impact include:

• Care of the chronically ill, frail and destitute
• Empowering of families in distress
• Engaging the socially isolated
• Rehabilitating at risk youth
• Advancing disadvantaged children  

We realise that Christ places a dignity on the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, those who are the least among us. Chrysostom encouraged Christians to live their faith by loving their neighbor, “If you have love, you will not notice the loss of your money, the labor of your body, the toil of your words, your trouble or your ministering, but you will bear everything courageously.”

The works of the various Christian charity organisations like the MWS are indeed truly commendable. Governments rely on private organisations to provide the service and funds for charitable works. Many governments provide tax deductions to encourage giving and also provide some support to these organisations. But sometimes, the support comes with a catch; there should not be a spiritual overtone to the charitable service. 

Over time, these restrictions unwittingly caused an insidious secularisation within these church based charitable organisations. Notably, organisations and staff misunderstand that there is an imposition against propagating the faith in executing the charitable service. Actually the advice is not against propagating religion but to be careful and sensitive about doing it. Kind service borne out of love for Christ and neighbours will cause others to inquire about the faith within us. Opportunities to share the gospel abound. This is unavoidable, work and witness cannot be separated.

Yet, unfortunately, work and witness start to drift apart. The very success of Christian charitable organisations blocks their ability to witness and share the gospel. This is indeed sad and gradually the love for work supplants the love for Christ in these services. We forget that our spiritual service emanates from the love of and for Christ. In the book of Revelations, the church at Ephesus exemplified this dichotomy,

'I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. Yet I hold this against you; You have forsaken the love you had at first.' Rev 2:2,4 

 

The church must avoid this pitfall. We must find a good balance between evangelism, witnessing and social concerns while staying sensitive to the multi-religious societies we live in. In every instance, we are called to love our neighbours not just with words but also with deeds, with acts of charity, kindness, social action and social justice. The love for one another and the love for neighbours distinguishes us as Christ's disciples and drives our Christian service. In turn our Christian service becomes our Christian witness.

 

There is a simple Christian tune, 'I Love You With The Love Of the Lord.' 

I love you with the love of the Lord

Yes I love you with the love of the Lord

I can see in you the glory of my King and

I love you with the love of the Lord

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 25 Apr 2021