Why Do You Give To Those In Need?

A conversation I had some weeks ago prompts me to ask, Why do you give to those in need?  Feel free to just comment on this post without reading the whole (long-winded) context of my question.  Be as short or long as you’d like.  I’m interested to know what motivates you to be philanthropic.

Putting stuff in its place, it seems to me, sometimes involves giving stuff (including money) to those in need.  When we value people more than stuff, it is pretty easy to give up stuff to meet the needs of people.  But why do we give to those in need?  I had a conversation a while back that was kind of disturbing on several levels.  Let me summarize it and then tell you what got me thinking.

I was talking to a friend who had recently had a missionary over for dinner.  The missionary was telling him how he was going about raising support and how he was frustrated.  I bet many missionaries have felt vexed as they seek support.  This missionary, however, was disappointed with the whole system.  And he came up with a theory to address the problem.

The problem identified by this missionary is that the missions programs of churches are still colonial minded.  The colonial model of missions identified by this missionary equates to something like this.  1) Give money to missionary/organization.  2) Missionary/organization goes away and does work.  3) Little accountability occurs.  4)  Success is judged subjectively through occasional visits and reports from missionary/organization.

The solution to this inadequate model identified by this missionary is that of modern philanthropy.  The way modern philanthropy works, according to this missionary, is that a philanthropic organization gets rich people into a room and pitches them.  1) The need is explained.  2) A strategy for addressing the need to outlined.  3) Accountability is put in place through achievable goals.  4) Success is judged by regularly measuring the progress of the philanthropy against the goals.

Contrasting the two models of giving might look something like this:

“Colonial” = 1) You give because you give to the missionary/organization your church tells you to.  2) Missions happens without much involvement or awareness on your part.  3) You have no involvement in measuring the success of the missions effort.  4) You either feel good or bad about the missions effort based on the ability of the furloughing missionary to tell you how things are going over seas.

“Philanthropic” = 1) You give because you believe in the need identified in the pitch and 2) the strategy for addressing the need and 3) you believe the goals outlined are achievable and 4) you will have regular and empirical updates to help you determine if your giving was worth it.

Okay, now.  I realize that I’ve just been long winded.  And I recognize that many of you might be saying, “So what?”  But here’s the thing.  I think this is kind of important.  I think the model of giving identified by this missionary is just plain wrong.  This is a huge enough post as it is.  And there are people spending lifetimes either engaged in missions or philanthropic work, or studying and teaching the principles behind that work.  So instead of reading this long post, you could read thousands of pages of missions/philanthropic reports or tens of thousands of pages of books on this subject.   Better and brighter people than this missionary have identified what rightly can be called the “colonial” nature of missions.  If you are interested, check out the works of Andrew Walls, Lesslie Newbigin, and Lamin Sanneh.  But know this, the colonial model of missions is not called “colonial” because it refuses to adhere to a questionable model of modern Western Capitalism.

Having made it this far, though, you need to know why I’ve written hundreds of words on the subject.  Missions work and the work of secular philanthropy, in my mind, is not primarily about achieving goals.  Here’s what I think about giving to those in need.

We give because people are in need and we have the means and the heart to help.  The main reason behind giving to those in need is that they have need and we care.

If we ourselves are not doing the helping work, we give to those we trust to carry it out well.  “Well” does not necessarily mean “best.”  Moreover “trust,” in the case of missions and philanthropy, is not primarily an empirical measure.

We recognize that for us who have plenty, our role in helping the needy is primarily our participation in their need and not our efficiency in alleviating it.  This might sound cruel on first read.  And perhaps if I get a strong reaction I’ll have to write another long post explaining myself.  But before you get too mad at me, think about this last statement of mine very hard.  Think about the people in need.  Ask yourself if they really need you to have S.M.A.R.T. Goals.  Ask yourself if their primary need is to 100% alleviate their need.

All this said, I’m very interested to know what motivates you to give to those in need.

Comments

[s'mee]

Good question. For me giving is selfish. I give because it makes "me" feel good. I also believe that we are all beggers in Christ and that no matter how good we are or whatever we do for other's we will constantly and always will be in God's debt. If I am grateful for God's mercy on me then I should be merciful with others.

As long as you brought up missionary work, and in the following post Mormons, here's a thought. Were you aware that a mormon missionary is required to fund his or her own mission on their own? Sure some find ways to get their families to pay or perhaps some good soul in their congregation will toss them a check now and then, but in the "rule" book they are expected to either pay for the whole two year mission themself and/or pay back any who add to their support at a later date. This is to do exactly what you propose...add to the missionaries committment and accountability.

Also, a mormon missionary is on duty full time, 24 hours a day, for the entire 2 years with the only exception being what they call a preparation day (p-day) on which they are required to do all their personal shopping cleaning of house and laundry etc., and to work in a week's worth of excersize in one day, all in an specified amount of time on that day, then back to the Lord's work.

No day off, no vacation, no tourist-y type fun while in a different land. No jobs, no dating, no being apart from your 'companion' for safety's sake, and no recreational reading, only scripture and no music other than traditional Christian hymns.

Say what you want about mormons, they take responsibility and their mission seriously.

[Sarah Chia]

I just found your blog through "Zen Habits." I love the concept of 100 things, and I'm trying to figure out a way to get my husband on board with that one. I'll start with myself, I guess.

Anyway, why do I give to people in need? Because I love them. Because I realize that me being in rich America doesn't mean that I get the blessing and others don't. It means that I should do without those things that others in my culture believe are essential in order to allow others to have some necessities that they are lacking.

I did a couple of posts on this on my blog recently. I got quite a negative response from one vocal reader. ;)

[Christy]

I give to people in need because "By the grace of God go I". Because I'm a blessed "have" when I just as easily have been born a "have not".