Charity isn't about giving to those you know will give you something in return. It's not about sharing your possessions with a hope of a rich reward. It's not reaching out to your brother just because you fear eternal damnation. It's about having a genuine desire to selflessly help your neighbor because it's the right thing to do, and the only rewards you hope to receive are the feelings of joy and happiness that come from assisting another human being.
This is what true charity is. Being able to have such a pure giving spirit is a gift many Christians do not have, but it is one easily obtained once you embrace the Holy Spirit, says several religious ministers. Much like the other heavenly virtues - chastity, temperance, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility - charity is more than a word or an idea. It is a habit all Christians can learn through developing a deep connection with God.
Unfortunately many people do not have this relationship with the Father and as a result, they find being charitable a difficult task, says Reverend Leon Smith, senior pastor of St. John's Native Baptist Church in South Andros. "Many people see giving to someone else as an investment to get something in return later. It isn't done wholeheartedly and the person giving imagines he will get something in return one day," says the minister. "I think what we don't do is give to those who cannot do for themselves enough. We like to give freely to those who we know will give us something one day too."
Smith says this is not to say that there are no charitable people still left in The Bahamas, but rather there are many who are falsely charitable and do good deeds for the wrong reasons. This practice must stop because no real good will come out of selfishly extending help. The best rewards of being charitable should be the heavenly ones and those kept in the heart where no rust can erode it or no thief can steal it, he says. Charity is the ability to love your fellow man so deeply that giving or offering help when it's needed comes naturally, no matter your own circumstances, says Bishop Arnold Josey, senior pastor at Commonwealth Mission Baptist Church.
"Charity is love and much like this powerful and complex feeling it is based on being selfless, genuine, patient and kind even if you do not receive the same feelings in return. I believe this is an attribute that still exists today, but not as abundantly as it did in your grandparent's time," he says. "There was a time when most people did not have much, so it was common for everyone to share what they got with their neighbors.
If your mother cooked a meal it was often to feed your grandmother, aunts, cousins, neighbors and others who are in need. Today we still have the 'haves' and 'have-nots' but since there are more people who do have their own wealth, most of us feel it is not necessary to be as charitable as we once were." Even so, Josey says most people still possess a level of 'charitability' exemplified by the existence of many charities in the country and the great response from the Bahamian public when it comes to sending aid to devastated places.
"We are still a good people. Sometimes we don't show it and some are quick to question why you should help others, but in times of need the public has shown a great spirit to give back to the needy. I think that is a sign that there is still much love and generosity in our country to this day. We are not all lost. If there was one virtue we still have, it is this one," says Josey.
Bishop Peterson D. James of Faith Worship Center says charity to most people can be seen as a place or just another word, when neither of these views are entirely true. "Charity is more than a word. It is an action. "It is a doing word and it is important for people to understand that fully," says the bishop. "Quite often in the Bible you find that there are scriptures that say prayer without works is useless.
"An analogy is given by Jesus to his disciples that if you see a brother who is in need and say 'I am sorry to see you in this position' but are not prepared to do what you can to help them then you are not demonstrating true love or charity." The minister thinks that in the society today there are many charitable people who are willing to open their wallets, cupboards and hearts for the sake of a brother in need. It is due to this that there is still hope for recovery in this nation despite what many people would otherwise believe.
"When the day comes and we have no more charitable people that is when we should be truly afraid. But for now I do believe we have an abundance of charitable people and I am glad we are still very responsive to others in need," James says. *Over the next four weeks, The Nassau Guardian will engage a number of ministers of religion on the topic of the Seven Heavenly Virtues. They will dissect each one and talk about the relevance of the virtues to the twenty-first century societies.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
