Must It be always on bereavement, ill health or death?
Severally I have watched skits, read inspiring stories and watched cartoons that expressed in graphic ways the selfishness and needless showcasing of the self-centeredness of the human heart, its lack of prioritisation and caring for the needy when life is still in them.
We have become too transactional in our relationship with one another, only eager to help most often, either in times of bereavement or in things that would in reciprocation favour us in equal measure.
There is this video clip that got me emotional, exposing the very selfish sympathy of an average human person. It tells a story of a young man who had great friends, brothers and colleagues, but never enjoyed any help from anyone of them even when it was obvious he needed help.
Each time he reached out to them for help , excuses upon excuses would be the only feedback he would get. One day, connived with his wife he feinged dead. The moment his death was made known and burial preparation set in motion, the money that refused to come out began to flow in millions and thousands to give him a befitting burial.
The question is why is our generosity triggered only by bad news, sickness, death and misfortune?
Why is our purse strings wide open to pay for hospital bills, burial expenses etc but got zipped when one comes for help to eke out a living?
Why would a brother, friend or colleague beg without help to get by and scrape up life, but on death the flow of support for a befitting burial becomes overwhelming? Why? If not because of human hypocrisy and wickedness.
An average human being wouldn’t be disposed to render a helping hand that would lift one from the shoel of poverty, pains and misfortune to a place of rest. They would rather take one to a bar to drink and eat than give one money to help make ends meet.
Such isn’t basic Christian charity. I don’t know what else it is other than a show of charity in a very selfish manner. Real charity should be selfless, unreciprocated, driven by the single motive of helping for the sake of Christ not for any halo or affiliation effects.
It is about giving from the heart, without any expectations of receiving something in return. It is about making a positive impact on someone’s life, regardless of whether they can give back or not. It’s a selfless act that comes from genuine compassion and kindness.
Luke 6:35: “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great.” This is real charity. It encourages us to give without expecting anything in return, showing love and kindness to others not in the trade by barter manner.
Sadly, many of the charity we do if they are subjected to the purifying power of luke 6. 35 would be considered weak, a mere straw that worths nothing. Our charity oftentimes is flawed and dented with hubris, playing to the gallery approach, notice me mentality, take and hold it for me mindset, after all a King that comes back with bags filled with gifts, those he gave reciprocated with equal measure.
It sounds nice and encourages one to be nice, but if that is the only motivation for giving and contributing to a cause, one needs to repent and do things dispassionately.
When one gives without expecting a pay back, God does the payback.
When one gives, not because of some social capital building, God pays.
When one gives across board without discrimination, God pays.
It may sound so strange and inconceivable for one to give to A as much as he gives to B even when his relationship with B isn’t strong as his with A. Equality and equity must be seen to be the bedrock in all we do.
This is what godly giving, contribution, help etc should be not one that is weaved with varied selfish intentions of reciprocation. If you give me, I give you back what you gave me. If you don’t give me , whose own would lose? This is a terribly unchristain mentality.
That huge sum given to friends, colleagues, etc who are neither starving nor in dire need of it, just to oil the chains of ones bond with them, increase ones social capital and visibility may be better channelled to save souls who would never pay one back.
Get to the streets they are legion. Get to homes they are there in their numbers. To the prisons and motherless homes, one would see them, gnashing their teeth in lack and hunger.
A drop of water to their dry throats is far rewarding than a glass of water to ones saturated friends and colleagues. Why pour water on a morass ground when there are many caked and dry gound yearning for a drop of water.
Understand this fathers and get divine sense and help.
How useless pouring water into a filled to the brim container while there are legion of empty containers yearning to be filled like a deer that yearns for a running water?
Happy Father’s day in advance
Jarlath Uche Opara can be reached via Jarlathuche@gmail.com
