Charity Begins at Home

Twice recently friends asked my opinion of glamorous new “charities” their women’s groups had adopted causes I’ll call the Friends of the Whoopee Indians and the Christian Mission to Ivy League Hopheads. I told them frankly I thought little of either, because real charity begins at home. In nearly every church there are elderly couples needing weekly help with housework, shopping, or caring for a bedridden spouse; there are mothers abandoned by their husbands who could use practical support, food, clothing, or assistance with children. But such charity requires personal involvement, not simply mailing off money to distant strangers. Helping Mr. Smith care for his invalid wife is a real, recurring burden far less glamorous than shipping a donation across the world, but far more Christian. People prefer sentimental charity that costs little and touches nothing; responsible charity requires hands, time, and inconvenience. The Pharisee loved charity without involvement. Are you and is your church falling into the same trap?