Pancakes, anyone?

*OK before you read nay of these. This was my theology paper from 2nd semester last year. It's old stuff already. It's about the true meaning of charity from my pov. So I suggest not reading it if this is not you topic. ^^

The word charity has been tossed around lately like hot pancakes from frying pans. Charity for Ondoy victims, charity for Christmas, charity for New Year, indeed they were rather right when people said, election period is charity period.
With candidates doing “charity” for Ondoy victims, giving out relief goods with their faces and names written all over it, giving out free food for hungry citizens with a stamp-my-face-in-your-hand requirement, yes indeed the so called “charity” is in the air. Sometimes I even wonder when I see these instances if these politicians actually know that charity should be selfLESS not selfISH. Moreover, these people (not only them but most of us) claim that they have this “faith” in God, “faith” in God’s power and grace and use these “CHARITY” as proofs of their advertised faith. Since when was fake charity a proof of faith? Since people started to take advantage of unfortunate situations to put themselves up. Charity is meant to help and love other people. It is not done because of narcissistic love but love for other people. Charity doesn’t mean you have to experience pain and give pleasures to others only. It means being happy because other people are happy, feeling genuine sympathy when others are sad and giving what you have and end up still being happy because you know you gave it and you know you wanted to give it. And surely, charity isn’t an act activated only when you need something.

If people really have faith in God then doing charity isn’t much of a hard thing to do because it comes naturally. Charity is love. Therefore, giving love to other people need not much of a brain, it resides in the heart. Our belief and trust in God is what makes charity pure and holy. It is through God’s love that we are able to give love to other people. Solely loving ourselves can never be charity. It may financial aid other people but it is sincerity and love that proclaims charity.
Charity has been abused by different people today. Using it for their own advantages, but God sees what is real and it is only faith in God that can create love. By using faith and charity as excuses for our selfish reasons, we have already detested God. Charity are hot pancakes tossed around but it’s withstanding the heat in our hands that really makes it a charity.


denice