Generous Giving: A Reflection of the Heart?

Our finance officer today made this comment to me, to encourage me:

"You can really tell where someone's heart is by how they choose to give."

I would actually refine this reflection to,

"You should be able to tell where someone's heart is, in part, by how they choose to give."

I've added the word SHOULD because, intention and action should be linked. ie. We can say we want to live our life a certain way according to certain principles - for example to care for the environment, and to help those who are disabled - but if we actually never act with these priniciples in mind - for example we never recycle, we never talk with our disabled neighbour, or give money to a disabled charity - then our idea is just 'hot air'. And the same goes for giving money - this is one resource we have which we can use to reflect our priorites in life.

However I don't think the link between money and heart is even this simple though, for three reasons.

First, many people have never been taught or be exposed to the idea that their money can be used to benefit others, that their is a joy in that, and a 'comeback' in that too. I was lucky enough to work for IFES in the fund development department, and during that time read lots of web-articles on the joy of giving, especially by a network in the United States called Generous Giving Foundation - started by a group of businessmen and women who earn buckets and then give buckets to good causes. They beleive that a little education goes a long way. So do I. How we see our money changes our percepton of a lot of things.

Second, God has distributed different spiritual gifs around, which means that some people have the gift of giving, some do not. This means our finance officer sees a reflection of commitment to our organsiation through the exercise of just one type of gift: the spiritual gift of giving. But it might well be that someone with a gift of serving is just as dedicated to the organsiation and serves people late into the night, even though he wouldn't give much money each month. This is why I have written IN PART in my defination: "You should be able to tell where someone's heart is, in part, by how they use their money."

Third, people's fixed income and expenditure is different. A single person living in a cheap part of town can, for example, live incredibly cheaply: partly through the choice to live simply, but also partly because thier financial needs simply aren't as great as someone with a larger family in a more pricey part of town.

I would want to encouarge everyone to give generously, as God rewards those who do, plus it really does help people. However I think the above three points should also remove any smugness from those who do give generously. Joy is the word.

A week of interesting people

I've had a week filled with interesting people crossing my path each time I emerge from my well air-conditioned room!

Today it's Saturday and I met with Mayumi, who's our gospel choir leader. I suggested it to her in a text message yesterday, in an attempt to be more proactive in getting to know people in the choir, and because she had been asking if I could help her with some songs in English and so it seemed a good opportunity. And it was refreshing to have someone leap on the idea and be genuinely excited. It was exciting for me too, as I am in quiet awe of Mayumi, and her ability to transform into such a creative, bubbly source of energy and joy in our choir practices and live performances, as she plays the piano, sings, and whooshes across the stage in a flurry of exileration and laughter. When not in that mode she's just a normal, possibly slightly insecure gal, just like me, who loves the God she discovered six years ago. As well as us simply recovering in the coffee shop from the heat, I helped her compose a song (yes, I know that sounds strange, sitting in a coffee shop!), she taught me the names of the books of the Bible in Japanese, and we kind of comunicated even though we couldn't always get every word of what each other was saying! (kansai-dialect didn't help!)

Then she had to go and sing in a wedding, for the second time that day, so we said goodbye and I went on the train a bit further up the lake-coast, (which is novel for me to do by myself with time to spare), did some shopping, got a free bus across the lake, went paddling as the sun was setting, and then was picked up by another lady I met a while back. We had dinner together in Moriyama and again it was interesting to chat about all sorts, from a dating party that's happening in Osaka in the Autumn, to the fact that in Japan there is no 'Ladies first' convention. I like people like her who are non-clingy but ever-so-kind.

And also this week we had an interestng guy stay in our house - Theo Cowley, an artist who does this kind of thing in London and Holland. After conversations about Kyoto life in the kitchen, and having another Englishman around, I was sad to see him go.

I am very happy about these newish frinedships, but I've also been slightly disillusioned by others in the last few months. There's been a few people who seemed to want to be friends with me (and me with them), but when the 'novelty' wore off for them of having a foreign friend, or something, they've become disinterested and unavailable. Or maybe they're just busy. Or maybe I've done something wrong. So I am slightly wary now .... although it's important for me to keep my heart open to those individual friends (and I will use that word 'friends' even though I'm not entirely convinced it's still valid!) It makes me all the more grateful though for other longer-standing friends, like Yuki and Masako, who although likely get something out of our international friendship, are genuine friends.