“The RoseBouquet”

Ecclesiastes, a book in the Bible written by King Solomon, has this in chapter 11:1-2 “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.”

I recognize this injunction as a call to generosity. We are to give food to the multitude (we’ll get a return one day it promises) even if we don’t know where it is going to end up. We should divide up what we have to share with others. Seven is a number of perfection, but here it adds to go on beyond that, and give still more.

Now here is a strange tie-in. That sentence goes on to say, “…for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” The reason we are to give so generously is because disaster may come to our land, our property? This verse seems to be presuming that if we are generous now, whenever our time of need arrives, others will be generous to us. Almost as if we should be giving now as insurance for when we need help.

I recall just now that this was Joseph’s wonderful plan in Egypt. The Pharoh’s dream was a warning that seven years of plenty were coming, but after that seven years of famine. By setting up a plan to save and distribute the abundance, they were able to survive the famine.

A couple of hundred years ago, the Mennonites devised a plan to care for each other that way. They paid into a fund when they could afford it, but when disaster came, they were helped out of that same fund. Since then insurance plans have been built on the same model, albeit more commercial in nature.

Back to a personal lifestyle of generosity. Another verse in Proverbs says that if we give to the poor we have given to God, and we will never be beholden to Him. That is, God will find ways of repaying us for looking after the poor and needy, so it is perfectly safe to be always generous at every opportunity, for God will always repay us - or, if disaster strikes, others will rush in to meet our needs.

Knowing this should knock every caution and fear out from under us, and give us great liberty and joy to be generous. Our main problem should be to know where and when and how to give, and how much, so we do not toss our resources around carelessly, but think and give like God does.

This is my desire. This is also the reason I’m working on a site called Generosity-Alive.org. It’s basic premise is to help those who are choosing a lifestyle of generosity to discover where there are worthy causes and projects that need some help right now, and encouragement about how to give wisely and graciously and tactfully.

I suppose to that end it is good first of all to learn how to be a gracious recipient of gifts. It makes for more thoughtfulness when giving to others. The manner of giving should not be demeaning or rude.