Rude Graffiti

A little while ago I found this quote but as I read it, I realized it was something that I could not walk away from unchanged. This quote demanded action. It changed my way of thinking. It transformed the way I choose to both see and treat people. It pushed me out of life as I know it and encouraged me to live bigger.

It was written by an advisor to the Roman emperor in 137AD. The man whom wrote these word was not a Christian himself but was clearly changed by the way of life Christians choose to live by.

This is what he said…

“It is the Christians, oh Emperor, Who have sought and found the truth, for they acknowledge God. They do not keep for themselves the goods entrusted to them. They do not covet what belongs to others. They show love to their neighbours. They do not do to another what they would not wish to have done to themselves. They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies. They live in the awareness of their smallness. Anyone of them who has anything gives ungrudgingly to the one who has nothing. If they see a travelling stranger, they bring him under their roof. They rejoice over him as a real brother, for they do not call one another brothers out of the flesh, but they know that they are brothers in the spirit and in God. If they hear that one of them is imprisoned or oppressed for the sake of Christ, they take care of all his needs. If possible, they set him free. If anyone among them is poor or comes into want while they themselves have nothing to spare, they fast two or three days for him. In this way they can supply any poor man with the food he needs. This O Emperor, is the rule of life of the Christians, and this is their manner of life.” (Aristides – 137AD)

As I read this, it made me think as to what our giving looks like today… If you were to define this generation of Christians, would that be said about our giving?

In our society it is so easy to draw back, to hold on to what we have, or even just to give a little but make sure it doesn’t hurt. But that was never our mandate! We have been called to give out of a grace that first loved us. Not out of compulsion but inspired by the greatest giver of all, to do so with love and a compelling generosity.

We can so easily get caught up in the conveniences of society and forget that by living in them we are often neglecting the world at the same time. We need to grab hold of this teaching once again and run with it, allow it to become our passion and mandate.

Giving is not JUST about your 10% in the bucket, its not JUST about sponsoring a child or buying someone lunch. Its about finding the needs in our world, about having the initiative to do something about them, its about being innovative and coming up with new ideas to help others, its about raising awareness. Most of all its about not just giving what’s convenient and comfortable but choosing to lay aside our lives for the lives of other, just as Jesus did.

For will not be remembered for what we had but rather for what we gave!

What is your definition of giving? What are some of the ways you think we can give into our world? Thoughts… ideas…