The gift of spiritual generosity

Over the years, I've learned a great deal about spiritual generosity. There have been times that I've received this gift from others and times when I've passed it on to those in need. Many in my life have taught me a great deal about it.

Spiritual generosity is not something that can be quantified. It's not about what you give, but often about how you give. For example, I woke up this morning to the gift of spiritual generosity from a nurse who thanked me for asking her a favor. She thanked me. It is the how we treat each other part of giving.

It's that spirit of mutual respect and Christ's love as brothers and sisters that we honor when we are generous to each other in a spiritual way. We are in this together is the message. We honor our vulnerabilities and our strengths when we do that, because the reality is that at any time any of us may need. What about those folks in Virginia who lost their homes this week in tornadoes? None of those people thought at the beginning of this week that they would have the kind of needs they have now. Being human, we are "at risk" of needing. It's part of the gig.

And how we can change each others' lives when we choose to be spiritually generous in ways we can be, right where we are. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture. It's certainly not about money all the time, as it seems we've been taught. Sometimes it's our time or a service - a favor, a kind word, a presence.

One of my friends who has CP goes to the local supermarket on his scooter. If he sees an elderly customer struggling to read items, he offers to help. Takes a minute, but shows he knows about spiritual generosity. And I point that out because any of us can be spiritually generous and too often we think of people with disabilities as only being recipients, not the giver.

But I also know the other side of spiritual generosity: being the recipient. Spiritual generosity is very different than charity. Charity diminishes the recipient by objectifying him or her and lumping pity on top. Spiritual generosity is about the act of giving in a mutual gesture of respect and love. We all do that with our friends and loved ones. We give unexpected gifts to those we love. And we can do it with others, too.

Spiritual generosity in its true form engenders not only a sense of gratitude in many recipients, but can transform them into being givers as well.

Therein lies the hope and solution for all of us. Spiritual generosity would solve almost any of the problems we face as a country that resound around us daily, problems that may seem as if they will never be solved.