To the Editor:
I now respond to Greg Gann’s letter. Both Greg and Kari Carrington make good thought provoking points concerning charity.
I am thankful to live in a community that has six organizations that do acts of kindness. I’d rather not use the word charity because it often gets termed human love that might demand leniency and non – accountability of the organization.
There is often a place for tough love and often compliments a generous and unselfish concern for others. If I see a needy man that wants whiskey, do I provide him the means to go buy him some? Does that help him?
God shows tough love to those He loves, “For whom The Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Hebrews 12:6
Likewise, giving to the poor, in itself, is not charity as defined. “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Christ, it profiteth me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3
In the love chapter of the Bible, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the word charity also means love and that may be what Mr. Gann thought of. Now, God is love. Christ is God according to The Bible. He is also the Creator…”all things were made by Christ and nothing was made that was not made by Him and for Him. (See John chapter 1). Christ is before all things and in Him, all things consist.
In the giving of Mr. Gann and in the giving of Kari Carrington there is room for both of them to give in their way. There’s room for me too and you! Mr. Gann will consider my motives suspect and they will be. His motives may be higher and that’s ok with me.
I’m glad we have six organizations that we can give to and be assured that all of what we give goes to help folks right here. I hear that less than 30 percent of government acts of kindness go to the intended needy and rot in fraud.
Homer R. Dodson
Of East Bell Town