09-07-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 7, 2024
What does giving of ourselves teach us? What does it mean when we give in such a way that a challenging choice is required? What does it do to a person when they must give up something they want or like so they can give? Jesus spoke of a woman who gave, not from her abundance but from her poverty (Mark 12:44). It speaks of others giving from a place of wealth or abundance, but she gave away everything she had. Now it is important to read those words within the larger context of Mark, as it might just be a profound statement against the unjust religious and political systems of the day. With that said, what does it mean to demonstrate self-giving generosity? For those who have children, you know how important it is to give children choices and help them understand that with choices there are ramifications and even some painful consequences. If you choose this, then you cannot have that. It sounds simple, but we live in a world where more and more people want their proverbial cake and to eat it to… and not gain weight and still have more cake tomorrow. When we make hard choices—choices that specifically require us to give up something now for the sake of someone else or something we claim to believe in—it is necessary, at least for now, to let go of the cake. Studies indicate that those who share, often making choices to give up something for the sake of another human being, are those who score much higher on happiness scales. Why is that? There is something wired in our biology that seeks survival, yet at the same time, there is also something that longs to do good, to offer oneself, and to make a difference in the life of another human being.

I know there is a part of my biology rooted in a survival of the fittest mindset, but my prayer offered to you this day, O Generous God, is for the better angels of my nature to be what forms my decision-making and interactions with others. Amen.