As humans, we like parity in our relationships with others. We like to get as much as we give.  “It isn’t fair”, we cry if we give more than our share of time or energy to one who seems to be lacking in generosity.  Look at Peter.  When Jesus taught the disciples about sin and forgiveness (Mt 18:15), Peter asked him, “If another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive, as many as seven times?”  Peter was asking an accounting question with some kind of balance scale involved in forgiveness. Jesus’ answer “seventy times seven” meant forgive as many times as necessary.  Forgive generously.

Jesus spoke of generosity many times in the Gospels.  In a conversation about hospitality, Jesus encouraged his followers not to invite other people in the hope of being repaid.  In another place he said “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you” Mt 5:42).  He continually points out how generous The Father has been and is to those who hear Him and so they should be with one another.

In this Advent season we are called upon to be generous. Generosity has been a wonderful sign of God’s presence in our communities—your generosity to the offertory, to the Grand Annual, to the Haiti Fund, to the Food Pantry, to children’s Christmas gifts, to local and distant charities.  I hope you will trust in the Lord during these hard economic times and be even more generous knowing the great needs of others.

There is another area for generosity.  We must be generous in praise and encouragement of each other.  I have always loved the beginning of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Paul often began his letters with thanksgiving for the recipients.  Here his words seem even more poignant because of the difficulties in the Corinthian church.  The people of Corinth were divided, quarreling over practices and status. Still Paul believed the best about them, writing, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1 Cor 1:4-7).
Paul spoke of the grace present in this group, of Christ enriching them with speech and knowledge. That’s generosity!

More to Come

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