Today the market place says that we are to consider in the midst of our spending stupor those who go without through giving to a favorite non-profit organization. Good idea? Bad Idea? Well it really is neither good or bad. I like that we are being reminded to give to organizations that help the less fortunate. However, to be perfectly honest the call to give to the least of these has been with us long before the market came up with a cleaver name. Don’t forget the red kettles and bells of the Salvation Army have been with us since the late 19th century.
As complete aside I wonder what Wednesday will become in the near future, because we can be certain that someone is working on that right now. How about “Weary Shopper Wednesday” or “Wipeout Wednesday” (as in we have no more money and now mounting credit card debt due to our spending)?
Back to now and the giving day. Can there be anything wrong with a reminder to give to non-profits? I see no problem with that, but I would caution us to do some research before we blindly give to a non-profit. We are not without options here in the U.S. The latest report from 2013 says that we have in total 1.45 million non-profits operating in our country. It will not be hard to find one, but I would encourage us all to take some time to look into how they impact their community.
Personally, I like to look at whether they organization does more than just relief efforts, but includes holistic care for a community. Consider supporting your local congregation.
Rev. Shawn J. Smith 