We had a major culture clash last Saturday (27th October).
It was the day of the Kindy Sale. We were all to donate items for a
sale to raise funds for the Kindergarten at Talua. There would be
someone with a wheelbarrow come around at around 7:30 in the
morning to collect the items. The girls and I worked out what we
would give to the sale and put them all on the lounge chair and
thought no more of it.
At about 9:00, after having wondered one, what all the singing was
about and two, why they hadn't come to collect the items yet, and three
what on earth that person was doing with the loudspeaker, I noticed a
parade of people coming toward the house. There were guitars playing,
people singing, and lots of people in joyful procession. And people
pushing wheelbarrows. Someone on a loudspeaker announced which
house they would next pass by to collect items for the Kindy Sale.
Shock! Horror! I'm not giving all our things in front of all those
people, I thought. What if it wasn't enough? What if they thought I
should give more? After all, we have more to give? Perhaps I should
find some more things?
The procession eventually arrived at the house next door. There was
lots more singing. There were all the Kindy children (minus our girls)
holding signs asking for us to give generously... for the education of
children in south santo... education is our future. Then the donations
were put into the wheelbarrow. There was a speech of thanks and
flowers were presented to the householder.
We stayed inside. We didn't go out to join the happy throng, we didn't
even let the girls go outside to join the other children.
Then they came to our house. Glen went out to meet them. They sang a
song. Glen said, we'll bring out stuff down later, or you could send
someone to come and get it later. They nodded and sang some more
songs, and waited. Glen said again that we'd bring the stuff down
later, or someone could and collect it later. They presented him with
some flowers and there was a short speech of thanks.
There were lots of very confused faces. We had obviously not 'played
the game'.
Did we do what was right?
Perhaps with a little more quick thinking we could have avoided a
public incident. It would've been better, I think, once we realised
what was happening, to go and say quietly to the leader, 'don't all
come to our house, just send one person to our house'. Then our
actions, though still not understood, may have been less public.
It was definitely a clash of cultures. We don't give that way in
Australia. But here, giving is not voluntary but compulsory.
Sometimes even the amount is specified. There have been three
fund-raising events so far this year for which we received letters,
demanding rather than requesting our support, down to the exact items
we were to contribute.
However, I think it was more than just a clash of cultures.
Jesus says,
"Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen
by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by
men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:1-4
Secrecy is important in Christian giving. Christian giving is secret
giving. I think there are two reasons for this.
First, as Jesus says above, when it is secret, it is done before God,
not before men. We will be acting to please our Father in heaven,
rather than acting to please men and receive reward from them. Usually
the reward comes with praise, or we people thinking well of us (and we
all like to be well thought of). Unfortunately this is, to our humans
hearts, a much more powerful motivator than knowing that our Father in
heaven sees and is pleased.
The second reason is related. It that when our giving is done before
men, it is very often done under compulsion. We give because we have
to. There may be a law, or a demand, or it may be the shame of not
giving (or not giving enough) that drives us. It is possible, I guess,
to humbly and cheerfully give under compulsion (like we could humble
and cheerfully pay our taxes) but it is usually reluctantly and
bitterly. Paul says,
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor
9:7
Our giving should be motivated by love and wanting to please our
Father, not by what others will think and not by compulsion.
On Saturday, upon noticing the procession coming to collect our items,
it was these other motivations that sprang into my mind. I was feeling
compelled to give more. I was worrying about what they might think,
and how well they would think if I gave more.
And so we decided we wouldn't make our donations in this public manner.
I am worried about what they think and I want to speak them, to
explain my actions. But is that another way of doing an act of
righteousness before men, making sure they know about my
righteous motivation? (and is this blog doing the same?) I could
wait until they ask, but I doubt that they will. Will anything change
if I don't say anything? What would you have done?
