1 Chronicles 29:11–15 is a portion of scripture used frequently in my context as part of the Sunday liturgy, specifically at the time of collecting the offering. These verses remind the congregation about God’s goodness, as well as their role as administrators of God’s gifts. However, when we speak of treasure in the context of Lent, how can this text be of help?
The passage corresponds to David’s thanksgiving prayer for the people’s offering for Solomon’s temple building project. This chapter of the book of Chronicles describes the generous heart of a nation and its leaders who gave “freely and with a perfect heart” (29:9). However, more than praising the Israelites’ disposition, David’s prayer recognizes two key ideas: God as the owner of all and God’s people and the transient nature of humanity.
The year 2020 confronted us with our fleeting existence and laid bare the true needs of our society. Last month, the US reached half million deaths from COVID-19. Racial and ethnic minorities are the most affected. Job losses, housing crisis, hunger, and health inequity are among the issues we can’t ignore any longer. A “perfect heart;” that is, a wholehearted commitment and disposition to give, requires from us an honest look into ourselves in light of what is happening in the world. We bring economic resources to the temple to help with the church’s administration and God’s people’s needs. However, sometimes our willingness to give freely for the church’s needs disappears when our money is assigned to help those we don’t like or causes we don’t believe in. In other cases, we are quick to open our wallets and give money to the poor and needy, but not as quick to review our harmful policies and beliefs against those who we help with our money. This is, in the words of a Colombian saying, “borrar con el codo lo que se escribe con la mano” (“erase with the elbow what is written with the hand”).
If God is the owner of everything we have, we are accountable to God for how we use the resources God has given us and how we treat others. Even the land is not ours. All of us are foreigners in this world. Why, then, it is so hard to share with others what we have, and treat others with respect?
How can we strengthen the discipline of giving freely and with a perfect heart during Lent? In what way can our “I” become a “we”? May God help us on this season to cultivate a perfect heart that can help us be consistent, coherent with our beliefs and actions as we share our money and treat every person with dignity.
