Charity

During our trip back to Canada I was reminded anew of how blessed I am. How is it that, due to nothing that I ever did, but solely as my seeming birthright at being born in a place like Canada, I have so much? How I have taken for granted blessings that others only dream about. I have become habituated to what I have and I view them as common, even with distain. In light of this abundance of things and opportunities I was challenged to consider my lack of generosity and charity towards others.

Charity can transcend being concerned for and responding to the physical needs of others. My lack of charity has been my diminished generosity of goodwill to others. How is it that surrounded by so much, I am sparing in my goodwill to and consideration for others.

Life consists of daily interactions with other people. Sometimes I am irked by the behaviors, past or present, of others. It is not that I display ill will towards them (at least not knowingly) as a result, rather, my tendency is to be misery in extending them goodwill. As a result, in the midst of plenty, I withhold what should be so easy to share. Absurd isn’t it.

Another aspect of my miserliness is the times I fail to express gratitude and appreciation to those whose lives enrich mine. My life is filled with individuals and families who truly bless and enrich my life and my experience. I know how I appreciate kind words from time to time, and I am sure others are not a lot different.

This summer I made a point of trying to bring a more gracious and open attitude to the many people with whom I crossed paths with, whether it was a family member, friend, store clerk, stranger, even the driver who may have cut me off. I didn’t always succeed, but where I did I experienced a more deeply satisfying connection with the other.

Many years ago I watched a video featuring a fellow named Dewitt Jones. I was struck by an idea, included almost as an aside in his presentation. He stated “I find I’m approaching the world from an attitude of abundance rather than scarcity, from cooperation rather than competition.”¹ We have an abundance of material things in our western world. I wonder, might it not be an even better world if I, and others, sought to make goodwill and gratitude equally abundant?

~ Benno ~

1 http://www.dewittjones.com/resources/seeing_the_ordinary.htm