Tag Archives: generosity

No Man Is An Island

JohnDonne
John Donne

Seen through the lens of Western culture, the response of the nation of Israel to a man named Achan seems excessive and Taliban-like.  All Achan did was take a little stash for himself from the victorious battle against the Jericho-ites.

Who would miss a beautiful robe and a little cash?

By the same reasoning, how serious is a measly stolen credit card or iPhone?  Or a stolen test answer?  Or keeping one’s wallet closed when asked to contribute to some good cause?  Or not signing up to help with a project or provide a meal to someone who is hungry?  Continue reading No Man Is An Island

Compassion and the Leper

Pune Beggar

In an ancient middle eastern village a leper took up his usual place. He sat on his tattered carpet with a tin cup waiting for whatever would clink from the passersby of his little world. He stayed there from dawn to dusk, no matter what the weather. His meal that night would depend on what he received for the day.

A self-righteous person had a noticeably unpleasant expression on his face as he looked at the leper. He walked this way often, and this wasn’t the first time he had seen the leper, sometimes saying under his breath, “Lazy bum; why don’t you get a job like the rest of us. If I was in your shoes, I’d find some kind of job, even becoming a slave.” Continue reading Compassion and the Leper

How much can I keep?

Hand gripping moneyThe man was wealthy and young. Luck had gone his way, and he had amassed a large amount of money and property. He used his money in make more investments and purchase his way into the power structures of his community.

Those who knew him believed him to be an upstanding and religious person. If Time Magazine had been around then, he might well have made the “Man of the Year” cover because of his accomplishments. Continue reading How much can I keep?