GENEROSITY and KINDNESS

How should we behave toward our fellow human beings who are less fortunate than we? In particular, what do we learn from our religious traditions about being generous to the poorer people in our communities? I have italicized a few of the words below, to emphasize them.

Some of our early teachings are found in the Torah, for example, in Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10: "If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. . . Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to." (HOLY BIBLE, New International Version)

Proverbs 19:17: "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." (HOLY BIBLE, New International Version)

In Acts 20:35, Paul teaches us, "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (HOLY BIBLE, New International Version)

Qur'an 2:267-272: "Believers, give in alms of the wealth you have lawfully earned; not worthless things which you yourselves would but reluctantly accept. . . To give alms in public is good, but to give alms to the poor in private is better . . . Whatever alms you give shall rebound to your own advantage, provided you give them for the love of God. And whatever alms you give shall be paid back to you in full: you shall not be wronged." (NOBLE QUR'AN, translated by N.J. Dawood)

To whom should we give? The poor. Jesus told the rich young man to sell all of his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. (Matthew 19:16-30, Luke 18:18-30, Mark 10:17-31) And how should we give? Qur'an 76:8-9: ". . . [servants of God], though they hold it dear, give sustenance to the poor man, the orphan, and the captive, saying, 'We feed you for God's sake only; we seek of you neither recompense nor thanks.' " (NOBLE QUR'AN, translated by N.J. Dawood)

From Deuteronomy 15:11, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land." (HOLY BIBLE, New International Version)

And from the Qur'an 4:36-37: "Be kind to parents, and the near kinsman, and to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbor who is of kin, and to the neighbor who is a stranger, and to the companion at your side, and to the traveler, and to [slaves] that your right hands own. Surely God loves not the proud and boastful such as are niggardly, and bid other men to be niggardly, and themselves conceal the bounty that God has given them." (NOBLE QUR'AN, translated by N.J. Dawood)

All of these Abrahamic scriptures teach us to give, cheerfully, to the poor, from our abundance; and God will bless us for sharing and giving.