Transactional Giving

I began my illustrious career raising money for public television. It was a first job, but, even then, I could see people were expecting things in return for their support. That impression has only increased over the years and now what I call transactional giving has reached epidemic proportions. It pollutes practically every form of giving:

·      If I give at this level, can I get a tote bag and the CD collection?

·      If I give this will my children have an easier time getting accepted?

·      If I give, can my name be printed in BOLD TYPE so everyone can see how generous I am?

·      If I give this to my children, will they like me more?

·      If I give her/him this nice gift, will I get something of equal value?

·      If I give, will people think I’m a leader in the church?

·      If I give, what kind of a tax deduction will I get?

·      If I give, can I get better seats at the basketball games?

·      If I give her/him this, will they go out with me?

It’s everywhere we look, and as we enter the season of giving, it’s time to see how close to the surface it lies beneath our own generosity. Are we generous because we care, or are we generous because we will get something in return? 

Churches are asking for annual commitments, non-profits are racing to be the first envelopes we open, and children are filling out their Christmas lists. What would it look like if we removed ourselves from the current trend of transactional giving? What might we find in giving with no thought of return, no strings or expectations attached? 

My bet is we will find a joy in this season that has long been forgotten.

A Halloween Parable

It was his favorite costume. His parents gave it to him just when Halloween was becoming fun and he wore it every year after that . . . and whenever he could get away with it in between. Because he became obsessed with the costume and wore it so often, his father decided to take it away.

“Why?” he cried.

“Because you’re wearing it too often,” his father replied. “It’s starting to get in the way.”

“In the way of what?”

“In the way of you.”  

The child didn’t understand and stomped all the way up the stairs to his room. He sulked for the next few months, remembering how much fun he had wearing the costume and the way everyone responded whenever he wore it. He missed it all.

Eventually, he learned to live without the costume, but a few years later he found it hidden in his father’s closet and decided to try it on for old time’s sake. It looked and felt like he remembered, but when he held the mask to his face, he realized it no longer fit. He had grown, or it had shrunk, he thought. Even the robe was tight.

He put the costume back and never tried to put it on again. He was no longer angry at his father. Maybe he was right after all, the son thought. 

What a Wonderful World

The groom stood and went to his sister, reaching out his hand for a dance. What a Wonderful World was the selected song, and they clung to each other for dear life as they swayed back and forth. I knew enough about their stories to know that moment was poignant. The blending of music and backstory was beyond anyone’s full comprehension. 

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world 

Between them, they’d lost both parents to addiction, suffered with it themselves, been to prison and, I’m sure, endured many other hardships, but on this day, they were holding each other tight and swirling to the words and music. 

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

 I once believed in God so my life would go my way and be wonderful. I thought an all-loving God would fill my days with rainbows, colorful reminders of God’s presence, as I made my way down the joyful and trouble-free pathway of life. It was a God of my own making, a life of my fantasy, with God “up there” and my pleasure God’s only concern. No wonder when life’s struggles arrived I struggled to survive.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you

This morning the sunrise was spectacular. Electric reds and yellows reflecting off the clouds of last night’s storm. It was the kind of morning that makes belief in God easy, and yet I realized the sunrise was spectacular because the sun reflected off the clouds from the earlier storm. The magnificence was due to a blending or sunlight and clouds.

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

After the music was over, the brother and sister clung to each other for a moment longer. They said nothing but spoke volumes about clouds and sunlight . . . about pain and joy . . . about forgiveness and love.

Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world.