Giving Oneself

The St. Paul Catholic Center once posted an article, "Lent in practical terms: giving alms", that portrayed almsgiving as a counter-cultural activity. There is certainly an element of truth to this, though the Internal Revenue Service does exempt from taxes documented donations to a wide variety of charitable organizations. Still, the prevailing emphasis on individual initiative and achievement, and the negative rhetoric associated with public welfare programs creates a strong cultural bias against those living in poverty. Somehow, society judges it must be their fault, either through bad choices or some form of character deficiency. This sentiment is so strong that it persists, even in light of reckless and/or negligent behavior on the part of large businesses or government institutions. Witness the recent economic problems brought about in no small part by risky banking policies allowed by inattentive regulatory oversight. Few in the large institutions have suffered as much as the homeowners they have foreclosed on. And the insidious part is that the downward spiral of high unemployment leading to home foreclosures leading to a poor economy leading to higher unemployment has caught up many who were not participants in the suspect lending practices. Yet, society has done a very poor job assisting the unemployed to keep their housing, in effect deeming them unworthy.

It is a clear injustice, therefore, to blame the poor, en mass, for their plight. It is also futile to attempt to divide the poor into the 'deserving poor' and the 'undeserving poor'. Such is simply bias and prejudice by another name. Rather, it makes more sense to view the distribution of wealth as a statistical outcome, with a myriad of causes accounting for any particular individual's net worth. Most assuredly, one of those causes is random chance, and while there is the temptation to say "There, but for the grace of God, go I", doing so is a big mistake. Hidden in that one short phrase, is the refusal to take any responsibility whatsoever, either for participating in a society that allows such to happen, or for carrying out concrete steps that could ease the suffering of the afflicted.

In Lent, however, there is the recognition that the grace of God does send Christians there, not as a punishment or in revenge, but because He wills us to be caring and supportive of the oppressed and the unfortunate. He desires that we become closer to those we help and that their position be lifted toward ours, too. Ideally, this presence with the downtrodden would be in person, but that is inefficient and impossible on a large scale. Instead, financial support of charitable causes substitutes. This has always seemed a dismal replacement, because it deprives both giver and receiver of the relationship that could develop. Allowed to flourish, that relationship might actually change attitudes and outcomes in ways a simple transfer of money cannot. The church, in its many forms, has often encouraged these personal exchanges, but oddly not as a Lenten practice. It is an opportunity lost.

In fact, many churches encourage anonymous giving, ostensibly to avoid making a public display of generosity. For monies that support local operations, this makes some sense, but it encourages a passivity that outsiders might well interpret as hypocrisy. And for gifts that are intended primarily to support specific outward missions, that passivity prevents the intimacy that is built when donors participate personally.

For Lent, and for the desired spiritual growth, it is important to make almsgiving more than just the ritual offering of a tithe. Whether it is through use of one of the personalized giving programs popular with some charities (see World Vision, the Heifer Project, or Samaritan's Purse, among many others) or it is by volunteering locally, or it is through some other means, giving of oneself is critical. It is what Jesus did constantly, what he taught to His disciples and what he charged all His followers to do.

This Lent, may God bless your almsgiving with a deeper connection to those receiving your donation.