On Giving and the Gospel

There seems to be a divide between the Christians who place the highest importance on evangelism and those who consider social justice the most urgent need. I’m trying to figure out why these two views can’t come together. Growing up, I attended an all-girl Catholic school in Mexico City for 7 years. The highlight of every year I spent in that school was the day we did community service. I visited orphanages, schools for blind children, nursing homes and very poor villages. I had a sense that we were changing the world. Those values were deeply engrained.

When I became a Christian in 1988, I was introduced to a different way of seeing things. I was trained to be a minister, and worked many years with children and youth. My biblical and theological training along with my church ministry experience taught me the paramount importance of the gospel. So at that point these two views married each other in my mind.

Not long ago we read an article about a billionaire who has given billions to charity and thinks that by doing so, his soul will be saved. It was sad to read, first of all because many charitable organizations mean well and attempt to do great things but without an eternal perspective there is not lasting impact. It is also sad, because his conclusion is that good works lead to heaven but the Bible says, “it is not by works, so that no one should boast”.

So what is better, to feed a hungry man a piece of bread or to share with him a verse in the Bible and invite him to surrender his life to Christ? If I had to choose one, I would always choose sharing the Gospel, because that hungry man will hunger again for bread, but if he is fed the Bread of Life, his soul-hunger will be satisfied forever. I believe that sharing the Gospel with someone is the most loving, selfless and life-changing gift anyone can give to another person.

But it doesn’t end there, I know which I would choose but I don’t have to choose one or the other, so it is very much one and the other. Jesus, while on earth, went around meeting a lot of people’s physical needs, he fed the hungry, healed the sick. His underlying and fundamental purpose was the spiritual redemption of sinners, but Jesus never forgot the immediate needs of the poor and the sick and the forgotten. He had a keen perception and deep sensitivity and compassion and he acted upon all of these.

I am reminded of what my pastor always tells us, “God gives to you, so you give to others”. We are so rich, we have so many opportunities, resources, freedoms and wealth in this country, so there is no excuse to not give to those who have less than I do. Giving was modeled by Jesus, he is and was and always will be the ultimate GIVER, He gave it all, He gave His life. Everything the Father entrusted to Him, he offered back as a sacrifice to pay for my sins.

All this to say that I think the best way to spend one’s life is to bring as many people as possible to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But this passion in no way lessens my responsibility to attend to the needs of people who are less fortunate. The Bible says that “by their fruits they shall be known.” The trademark of a Christian is and should be “giving”. Not giving leftovers, but giving the best, giving sacrificially. The greatest testimonies I’ve heard are those of people who received a blessing from a Christian and asked “Why? Why are you kind to me? Why do you give so selflessly?” Because Jesus gave so selflessly, He gave his life and died on the Cross so that you and I might live.