“And now faith, hope and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Charity

The word charity is a translation of the Greek word “agape,” which means love of all humankind, friends and enemies alike, and it is said to be the greatest of the three Christian graces. We tend to think of charity in terms of simply donating money to help those in need, but without love, charity is nothing more than a good deed done to make us feel good about ourselves. True charity comes from the heart. If we feel compelled to do something, or because we know we will receive something in return, there is no love involved. The nature of love is about putting aside our own self-interest while showing concern and compassion for others, and it should always involve some measure of sacrifice on our part. The parable of The Good Samaritan is a good example. (Luke 10:25-37) Charity involves not only the love of God, but the love of our fellow human beings as well. Reaching out to others with true compassion is said to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit because it both glorifies and reflects the nature of God, and the life, teaching and death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of perfect charity.

lhart@gwi.net