Generosity and Authentic Connection
I recently learned that a woman I knew from another church in another city was now moving out of an abusive marriage. She had reached out vulnerably on social media, asking for help in a hard time. I had been in that place myself nearly 30 years ago and wanted to encourage her, as others had once done for me.
I was motivated by more than finances; I didn’t want her to feel alone. Knowing what it was like to start over, I told her, “You got this.” Her response was a flood of heart emojis.
When we are generous with what God has given us, it’s more than charity. It’s responding to God’s invitation to become more like Christ as we experience God’s abundance and the oneness we share. It’s being willing to become part of the flow of God’s goodness and participating in the Spirit’s work.
People who understand grace know that there is nothing that has not been given to us, whether it’s from family inheritance, employers or government services. Giving reminds us that we are interdependent on God and others.
My husband is better at generosity than I am. If anyone asks him for help, he says yes if at all possible. He invests so well in others that if I ever hesitate to do the same, I remember to channel his generous spirit. I want to become a more selfless giver, knowing how transformational it is to give and to receive.
I no longer balk at slipping a few dollars to people holding signs at intersections. I realize it’s not up to me to make sure they spend it “in the right way,” but to only extend mercy and resources as I can. In colder months, I sometimes prepare bags with warm socks, chapstick, a snack, and a fast-food gift card.
The most meaningful interactions are when I relate to people in need as fellow human beings whom God has placed in front of me.
I once saw a man huddled in a sleeping bag at a grocery store parking lot. After a quick U-turn into the McDonald’s drive-thru lane, I parked my car, tapped the man on the shoulder, and offered him a cup of hot coffee. He accepted with gratitude and surprised me by asking my name. After we exchanged names he said, “Well, Robin, I hope you have a blessed day.” I realized he wanted to be seen as a fellow human, not some random guy on the street who was unhoused at the moment.
Another time I noticed a woman pushing a grocery cart full of her meager possessions. I got out of my car to ask her, “Are you out here all by yourself? Are you OK?” When I handed her a giveaway bag and hugged her, she thanked me with more than a little surprise.
You never know who will be impacted by your generosity. One lunchtime I stopped to pick up something to eat during a church meeting. A man outside the restaurant said he was still looking for work and asked if I might buy his lunch that day. As I headed inside with his request, another customer snidely asked me if the guy had “hit me up for money.” I said he had, and that I planned to pay for his lunch. I also told him it was probably no coincidence that I was headed to a church workshop on how we can help the homeless among us. His demeanor softened, and he nodded in agreement.
Each of us have been recipients of something unearned--God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. We don’t “deserve” it; it is freely given.
Even so, it sometimes still takes faith in God’s abundance to free up our natural tendency to hold onto what we have received. It helps when I remember to see the shared humanity of someone in need or trust the leadership at AUMC enough to know they will channel our giving in ways that help the most impoverished among us.
Richard Rohr encourages us to embody God's unmerited generosity and move beyond mere transactions “to radical, selfless participation in Christ’s self-giving.” By identifying with Christ, he adds, we will find that true abundance lies “not in getting but in giving away, especially to the marginalized … leading to authentic connection, deeper purpose, and a life transformed through radical gratitude and solidarity with all beings.”
May it ever be so with us.
Written By Robin Russell