Old Sins cast long Shadows !
Charity! Another word that seems to decay and loose its essence in today’s world. A word that seems to have been left without any meaning, a mere prop for those who cannot brave the consequences of their own decisions.
Does charity only mean giving away a few bucks to some society who apparently works for the upliftment of some poor somewhere? Is money the only parameter to define a human deed that has much more to it than what it seems to mean to most people? More importantly is it the right parameter at all?
As I see it charity is much more than the material manifestation it seems to assume .Charity is not feeling pity or helping someone needy to give yourself a boost or a pat on the back .It is sharing yourself with others – your time , emotions , thoughts , learning with those who want it and need it . It is reaching out to someone on a one to one basis , more to do with an experience that touches one’s soul .Its as much for others as for yourself – enriching one’s emotions and experiences of life ,showing newer perspectives.
It is even more sad when charity is done through someone else. It certainly cannot be passed on or off loaded to someone else. If you can’t even take the trouble of doing it yourself its better that you don’t do it at all. What’s the use if you can’t see the smile that you put on someone’s face , share their experiences , help them through life - guide them , support them , cry when they cry , laugh when they laugh .
The worst abuse of charity is when people consider it as a substitute to assuage their guilty conscience. There is no such equation – good, bad, positive, negative don’t cancel each other out. It’s like a balance sheet – both assets and liabilities exist in God’s books and you are accountable both for your bad deeds as well as the good ones. Hence its better that you don’t do something for which you can’t look at yourself in the mirror without cringing and far better that you do charity for charity’s sake alone.
Does charity only mean giving away a few bucks to some society who apparently works for the upliftment of some poor somewhere? Is money the only parameter to define a human deed that has much more to it than what it seems to mean to most people? More importantly is it the right parameter at all?
As I see it charity is much more than the material manifestation it seems to assume .Charity is not feeling pity or helping someone needy to give yourself a boost or a pat on the back .It is sharing yourself with others – your time , emotions , thoughts , learning with those who want it and need it . It is reaching out to someone on a one to one basis , more to do with an experience that touches one’s soul .Its as much for others as for yourself – enriching one’s emotions and experiences of life ,showing newer perspectives.
It is even more sad when charity is done through someone else. It certainly cannot be passed on or off loaded to someone else. If you can’t even take the trouble of doing it yourself its better that you don’t do it at all. What’s the use if you can’t see the smile that you put on someone’s face , share their experiences , help them through life - guide them , support them , cry when they cry , laugh when they laugh .
The worst abuse of charity is when people consider it as a substitute to assuage their guilty conscience. There is no such equation – good, bad, positive, negative don’t cancel each other out. It’s like a balance sheet – both assets and liabilities exist in God’s books and you are accountable both for your bad deeds as well as the good ones. Hence its better that you don’t do something for which you can’t look at yourself in the mirror without cringing and far better that you do charity for charity’s sake alone.
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posted by shruti @ 7:46 AM
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