Friday, March 25, 2011

Decisions about giving and all that jazz

In a comment on my review to God So Loved He Gave, Steve asked if Kapic and Borger discussed how we give. I think this says something about their approach:

On a practical level, what does it actually mean to imitate Jesus in our personal giving?

...We must also be careful before trying to specify certain behavioral norms since even the most devout and thoughtful Christians can differ widely over such details, and our individual callings and particular situations will inevitably impact the way Christ's cross takes shape in our lives...

This important word of caution does not mean, however, that the call to imitate Jesus lacks any clear implications for our lives. There is freedom within Jesus' example, but there is also a basic form. Thus, the challenge we face is always the challenge of knowing Jesus more so that we can discerningly apply his example more and more freely within form - like a jazz soloist who is able to improvise long rifts because he is so intimately familiar with the basic beat of the song

(p. 158, Kelly M. Kapic, with Justin L. Borger, God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity)

He then identifies two particular aspects of this "basic beat". Firstly, giving up your rights, and secondly, giving up resources.

Much Western aid, and interpersonal giving can be marked by a desire to retain control. Because of that the gift goes sour and it is ineffective. The mistake of communism and Victorian do-gooders?

But we should not just give away power but material resources as well. It is not enough to give 'freedom of opportunity', there has to be actual transfer of wealth too.

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