A Word from Rev Gordon

April 2024

Our Theme for this month is Love as Generosity:

What does it mean to be generous?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary  translates generous as “characterized by a noble or kindly spirit; liberal in giving; marked by abundance or ample proportions.”

A person who is seemingly generous is willing to give of themselves and provide resources for the community, generally through significant acts of kindness, volunteering, sharing their emotional, spiritual, or mental gifts. This also means donations and in our case pledges. 

Most faith traditions advocate for their followers to give money or some other kind of tangible gift annually in order to support their community and the broader world. Our religious tradition, Unitarian Universalism, not only asks this of us in fact I believe our community via its mission statement actually requires it!

When we give of ourselves it is amazing how those gifts fan out into the community and wider world.  It’s like the Magic Penny song my children used to sing at Sophia Fahs RE Camp.

Love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.
It’s just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won’t have any. 
Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many
They’ll roll all over the floor.
For love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Malvina Reynolds

The English word “charity” can be traced back to the 4th Century when St. Jerome translated the Bible from Greek into Latin. The Greek word “agape” was used in the Bible as a noun, verb and adjective. Agape appeared over 312 times in the New Testament.

What is the ancient word for charity?

The word ‘Charity’ has become a euphemism. A gallic word that entered the English language from the Latin “caritas”, the Latin translation for the Greek word ἀγάπη, (Agape) meaning an unconditional love for others. For the ancient Greeks, Charity was an act itself.

Sadaqa is charity given voluntarily in order to please God. Sadaqa also describes a voluntary charitable act towards others, whether through generosity, love, compassion or faith.

The Hebrew word Tzedakah is often translated as charity, yet it has a profoundly deeper meaning. Tzedakah comes from the Hebrew word Tzedek meaning “justice.” My Jewish friends are required to give money to support causes or organizations that work towards building a more just and peaceful world. We might not always want to give significant donations, but we are required to fulfill this most important commandment.

This requirement to give charitably led to a very interesting debate amongst the ancient rabbis. In fact The rabbis later decided that deeds of loving kindness (gemilut chasadim) were far superior to charitable giving (tzedakah), for:

• Charity can be accomplished only with money; deeds of loving kindness can be accomplished through personal involvement as well as with money.
• Charity can be given only to the poor; deeds of loving kindness can be done for both poor and rich.
• Charity applies only to the living; deeds of loving kindness apply to both the living and the dead.[1] 

I find this reasoning to be quite astute. The rabbis knew that every member of the community is required to give charitable donations; no one is unable to shirk from this commandment. Yet, acts of loving kindness are different. These small actions are always completely voluntary and yet from my UU perspective these acts work hand in hand with one another.

You can give your required donation, but still be an inhospitable individual.  A person who performs an act of loving kindness does so because of a generosity of spirit. It is always a gift of the heart.  I think as we move from a more heady Unitarian Universalism towards a more heart centered faith community we must shift our focus.

The rabbis remind us that in every action, no matter how big or how small, we must be generous of the heart. We must remember that charitable giving is not just pulling out the checkbook or swiping the credit card.  It’s about the love we share.

A truly generous person reflects upon how his/her generosity can change lives. A truly generous person is committed to building connections with others through charity, but also through relationships. Generosity is not about how much you give, but in how your act of giving can build a better world.

In hope, love and faith,

Rev Gordon