The privilege of giving

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303

By JOHN HATCHER
Contributing Writer

Remember when your mama would chastise you for not cleaning your plate and adding this remark, “Just think of all the hungry children in Africa and India.” Those children with advanced degrees in “smart mouth” would often retort, “Name one.”

Now, with the New Orleans exodus to all parts of the United States, the opportunity abounds to be able to know and name precious people who need our help. When foreign nationals would come to the United States, we would have the opportunity to witness and minister to them without going oversees. Now, countless of needy people are at our doorsteps giving us boundless home mission possibilities without having to go to upper New York state or the neglected neighborhoods of New Orleans. They are here in the Atlanta area. We have mission work right here at our front door.

As a result, it should change some priorities. Rather than sending all home mission monies away, perhaps local churches should divert some funds and spend the funds on needs at the front door rather than laundering the funds through national administrative bureaucracy.

Fayette County has part of the joyous privilege to help the New Orleans contingent. And that’s exactly the way I look at it. It’s a downright privilege to be able to help our fellow citizens, some of whom are fellow believers, to get back on their feet, to let them know we will be there for the long haul, and that we consider it a high privilege to serve them.

You see, to me, Katrina did not present us with heavy responsibilities but with joyous, heartfelt privilege. It is an honor to serve these folks who have been run out of town by a storm. The Bible captures the truth of this point when it says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The word “blessed” means that something mighty good has come.

Am I thrilled with the loss of life and destruction of homes and businesses in New Orleans? No. But I am thrilled that God has allowed me and millions of others the joy of reaching out and giving. Without Katrina, the hearts of Americans would be all dammed up. But now the dam has broken and the floodgates are open. Generosity, goodness, mercy, kindness, provisions, supplies are pouring forth from the hearts of people not only in America, but also around the world.

Now we know people by name and face who have lost it all and give us the joy of giving as much as we can. But it is giving not from a “bless their hearts” perspective, but a giving from a “thank you God for honoring us with this privilege to give” perspective. It is not so much about the great need facing hundreds of thousands, but for me, it’s about a great joy to join in the fellowship of giving.