Often when we reflect on almsgiving, we focus on the “what” of giving—that is, the gift; and we wonder if we are giving enough, whether it be of our time, talents, or treasures. During Lent, we often push ourselves to give more.
There is nothing wrong with this, of course, but today I would like us to think not about the “what” of almsgiving, but the “how,” and reflect instead on a spirit of generosity.
Generosity certainly relates to giving, but at its heart, it encompasses more than that. Generosity, or being “generous in spirit” [Psalm 51:12], points to a whole way of being in the world. What I appreciate about a focus on generosity is that it begins with a sense of gratitude, a recognition that we who are the receivers of so much goodness are invited to respond by living with a disposition of open-heartedness, charity, and grace. And this disposition goes far beyond a simple accounting of how much and how often we give.
The students in my class this semester are reading The Book of Joy, which is based on a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
At different points in the conversation, the topic of generosity surfaces, and both spiritual leaders agree that cultivating a generous spirit can make such a significant difference in how we see ourselves, how we see others, and how we engage the world. It is, in fact, one of the “eight pillars of joy” they describe, and they note it is an “natural outgrowth of compassion.”
The narrator of the book says this: “The quality they both have, perhaps more than any other, is this generosity of the spirit. They are big-hearted, magnanimous, tolerant, broad-minded, patient, forgiving, and kind.” Archbishop Tutu describes this way of being in the world as follows: “becoming an oasis of peace, a pool of serenity that ripples out to all of those around us.” The world needs this peace now more than ever.
This Lent, let us renew our invitation to God to “sustain a generous spirit within us,” and open our hearts to the transformation Christ works in us as we live out of this holy generosity.
