Check Your Gretatude
In early June, climate activist Greta Thunberg and eleven companions boarded a yacht in Sicily and headed towards Gaza. What they delivered, in addition to a small amount of food and supplies, was a lesson in how not to do generosity.
The yacht was intercepted by the Israeli military eight days into its Mediterranean cruise, and the crew was detained. It contained less than a truckload of food and could be kindly described as an effort to draw attention to the plight of people in the Gaza strip. A witty, but less kind Israeli official named it the “selfie yacht,” suggesting that the focus was more on the travelers’ virtue signaling than helping the people in Gaza.
Below are three key lessons/reminders from this event on how Christians should approach generosity.
1. Keep the focus on God and His priorities.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus says that whenever we help those in need, we are doing it for him. In the very repetitive passage, it never once mentions why or how people ended up in the situation. It is good to simply help. Regardless of how you feel about the attacks by Israel or the response, people in Gaza are suffering.
Thunberg pre-recorded a video anticipating their detention. Before watching the video, I expected something about being intercepted by the Israelis, that we will be fine, but please help the people of Gaza by donating to an aid organization. Instead, the video mentions encouraging the Swedish government to work for our release. It never mentions Gaza or its citizens. When we give, let’s make sure that we are doing it for the right reasons.
2. Giving as part of a community can often be more effective.
When a church or a denomination gives as an organization, it creates a different dynamic than when we emphasize our role in the gift. It creates a space for God and His representation on earth to receive the glory. For long-term needs, it facilitates a new generation taking over and sustaining the ministry. In Matthew 6:3-4, giving to the needy is specifically mentioned as a type of giving that should be done anonymously.
Giving as a community also brings with it better expertise and governance. Even if my net worth had two more zeroes before the decimal point, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue on how to help the people of Gaza or any other disaster well. Fortunately, The Christian and Missionary Alliance (Orchard Alliance’s parent organization) has a relief and development arm. CAMA Services provides compassion-driven ministries to people devastated by war and both natural and man-made disasters. They have been doing this for over 50 years and know how to establish and maintain a meaningful, impactful presence by involving local authorities and local ministry partners in the relief effort. In contrast, the organization behind Thunberg’s Mediterranean cruise encourages giving so more people can sail to Gaza to protest the blockade. They don’t appear to raise money, have expertise, or cultivate the relationships needed to offer tangible help to people in difficult situations.
3. Pick the right circumstances to lend your name to an organization.
For those gifted in earning and giving, lending your name to an organization can be part of your witness. As I have interacted with gifted givers as a church treasurer and at Orchard Alliance, I see that God often gives the vision of what could be to the giver. If God puts on your heart to renovate a cabin at a Christian camp or help expand a program at a college, adding your name can be the best way to witness to fellow givers that they should consider giving as well. The Bible celebrates the generosity of two Josephs who gave at pivotal moments—one who gave a field and the other a gravesite. Let’s create opportunities for other generous people to offer witness of God’s ongoing provision and encouragement to suffering and marginalized people.
Whether encouraging friends to support an international worker in need of funding, hosting a vision campaign meeting for your church’s capital campaign, or allowing a camp or university to put your name on a building as part of a contribution, do it for the right reasons. In other words, be sure to check your “gretatude” along the way.
