When Helping Hurts

Charity.

A word that usually has good connotations, right? At least it always has in my mind. We were always making charity quilts to send to victims of natural disaster or donating clothes to Goodwill. Both good things.

But there are kinds of charity that are not always good things. I didn't know this. Now I'm going to share my knowledge with you. It's what I do.

In Robert D. Lupton's book Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor, he argues against the kind of ministry that does for people what they can do for themselves. "To do for others what they can do for themselves is to make recipients the objects of our pity and deprive them of human dignity."

Sure, "doing for" charity often is the first step in the journey, I am aware of this. But when we never allow or help the recipients move beyond hand outs, we are not helping them, we are hindering them from being self-sufficient. Giving is a good thing, but is it best for the people? "When recipeiants remain recipients and givers are content to remain givers, good has become the enemy of best."

I have never encountered such thinking, but it makes much sense. Our work is to help others help themselves. Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

"Perhaps the best giving is the kind that enables the poor to know the blessedness of being givers."

Until next time, give a little, get a little, love a lot.