By Daan Prins, Assistant Consultant, Diaconate
The key text for Aid Sunday 2027 is taken from 2 Corinthians 9:7: ‘God loves a cheerful giver’. Apparently, it is not just a matter of that we give, but also how We give: cheerfully, with joy.
That sounds rather nice in a way, but it can also be tricky. After all, is giving always something to be happy about? To borrow a metaphor from C.S. Lewis, albeit from a different context: aren’t we often like honest taxpayers in this respect – people who do file their tax returns, but would prefer to keep as much as possible for themselves and aren’t keen on a tax increase? Of course, we see the plight of others and we do know that we ought to help them, but preferably not at too great a cost to ourselves – surely? Giving is one thing, but cheerful give…?
God helps us with that, however. For He did it Himself first. We learn to give truly joyfully from the joyful Giver. And who is more so than Jesus Christ? He did not give just a little of what He had, nor even a great deal, but everything. He gave Himself. He was in the form of God and thus possessed infinitely more than we could ever have ourselves, yet He did not cling to it (Phil. 2:5–8). He gave His life willingly, of His own accord (John 10:18), and He did so with joy (Hebrews 12:2). He gave from a heart full of love, a love that went to the very end for us (John 13:1).
That is enough to leave one speechless. But also grateful and joyful. We cannot do what He did for us. But when we let this sink in, surely our love for others ought to cost us something? No, that is not always easy. But Jesus leads the way. And then we may discover that ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35). Yes, in following the joyful Giver, we too become joyful givers.