Is it possible for us to support the needy today without being entertained? The best charity, we believe, is that given in secret. And yet my news feed brims each day with a multitude of activities and events designed to encourage me to give publicly to all kinds of worthy causes — and they are all worthy causes — under the assumption that adequate funds cannot be generated by beneficent giving alone. So we must be invited to bazaars, jumble sales, three course dinners and concerts. We must sponsor our friends for climbing a mountain, riding a bike, jumping out of a plane or flying across the globe for the adventure of a lifetime. Even our children come home from school laden with sponsorship forms. Perhaps it is the only way. Perhaps we must be compelled to give more than we would ordinarily give, because the needs of the needy are simply just too great. Perhaps. One thing is certain: all this entertainment is depriving us of the blessing of charity done in secret.
Last modified: 19 August 2014
