No Conditions, Just give (Mt 6:3)

Jesus says that when we give alms we should not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.  (Matthew 6:3)  This passage is challenging in our contemporary Church, where many donations are given for specific purposes or projects.  For instance someone might say, “This donation is for the youth mission trips.”  Or, “This donation is for a committee that I am a member of.”  I will admit that I am very grateful for the budget item labelled “restricted donations.”  And, I consider it responsible stewardship to use the funds in the ways that they are targeted.  I have even been tempted to write certain restrictions on some of the donations that I make.  But, I know we would be a better Church if we all gave freely, and trusted each other and Church leadership to use the funds wisely. 

Compare donations to investments.

Compared to our typical retirement accounts, which often are comprised of mutual funds, we exercise far more control over our donations than we do our investments.  In The Warren Buffet Way, the investment guru is reported to examine the potential investment, ensure that it has strong leadership, a good business model, and potential for profit.  He then makes the investment and trusts the management to run the company.  One of the richest people in the world trusts management to use his money wisely, and does not exert control over a company that he invests in.  Can we do the same with our donations?  Can we examine the Parish, the work of the parish, and the management of the parish, and then donate freely, without conditions, or restrictions, and trust the parish leadership to use the funds wisely? 

No Restrictions

There are some churches that have a menagerie of saint statues in their sanctuaries because different people donated different statues in honor of a relative.  Each person chose a statue that matched their individual taste, so none of the statues match each other.  That is different than a church decorating committee deciding on a theme, and inviting donations for statues, or windows, or paintings that match the theme.  In the first case each person individually decides what he or she thinks is best, and if that person has the money, he or she imposes that idea on the rest of the community.  In the second, the community decides, through the committee, what is best, and solicits donations.  In the first, control is in the hands of people with money, in the second, control is in the community, under the leadership of the pastor. 

Money tempts us, even when we donate.

I am sometimes tempted to restrict my donations to my parish when I disagree with a decision of the finance committee, or parish council, or building and grounds committee.  When things don’t go my way, I am tempted to pick up my ball and go home.  But, I am reminded that the best ideas in my career in church work have come from collaboration; with committees, or coworkers, or volunteers.  Often my own ideas and preferences are dismissed quickly, and other ideas are adopted.  (That’s why I started blogging – I can express my own ideas and thoughts. Thank you for reading them.)  If I succumbed to the temptation to run things my way, or pressed my own ideas, I and the community would have missed out on some extraordinary experiences. 

A true gift has no strings attached.

If I donate money to a committee that I am a member of, and I push my agenda, it is not really a

donation.  It might still count for tax purposes.  It may still be a good thing to do.  But, for a donation to be a gift, it must be given without restrictions.  If I gave an artist supplies, and told him or her to draw a certain picture in a certain way.  It would be an assignment, not a gift, and the artwork produced belongs more to me than to the artist or anyone else.  If I give the artist supplies and freedom, the artwork that develops is itself a gift to the world.  The gift is multiplied when it is given without restrictions.  It is when we give without restrictions or conditions, and release control of the money, that our donation is made in the spirit of not letting one hand know what the other is doing. 

What is at risk?

I risk being deaf to the Holy Spirit, who is active in our community, if I push my own agenda more than I listen to the ideas of others.  If I am part of a community, I need to express my ideas, but I also need to listen to feedback on my ideas, and listen to other people’s ideas.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is present in our Church.  The Holy Spirit speaks through the community of believers.  Even in extraordinary cases where a member of the community hears the Holy Spirit, the message, or idea has to be confirmed by the community of faith. 

Can we do it?

Can we release control of the money to others and trust the Holy Spirit to guide the decisions?  Can we give to a parish program without saying, “I want this speaker, on this day, on this topic?”  Our Church teaches that private property serves the common good.  The surplus that we have belongs to the poor person who does not have enough.  The gifts that we have (including money) reach their fullest expression when they are given away freely.  God trusts each of us to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.  Can we also trust others to be good stewards of the resources that rightly belong to the community and the common good?