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I recently heard Raymond Pierre-Luis tell the following story:
A Haitian man was walking alongside a river in Haiti. He suddenly lost his balance and fell in the water. He could not swim. Seeing the drowning man, a tourist ran to his aid, and reaching out from the shore, began to shout "Give me your hand! Give me your hand!" The drowning man continued to thrash around swallowing water. Again the tourist shouted "Give me your hand! Give me your hand!" but the man continued to ignore the available help. Another man from Haiti suddenly arrived and told the tourist to call out "Take my hand! Take my hand!." Upon hearing this phrase, the drowning man reached out and was pulled to safety.
Raymond concluded: "I believe my country, Haiti, is the poorest one on earth because my people have only been taught to take, they have never learned how to give. Therefore, they do not have God's blessings! Americans are rich because of their generosity."
"The Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:35 NIV)
The Apostle Paul wrote: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV)
For the second year in a row, charitable giving is down by 20%. While I am confident that a significant part of the reason stems from unemployment and diminished resources, I wonder if people have lost confidence in God's ability to supply. I wonder if people have become fearful and therefore selfish. I wonder if Pastors, Church Leaders, and Organization Directors share this fear and doubt.
As we remember God's Greatest Gift to us this Christmas Season, may we also remember to give in support of Christ's Church, the proclamation of the Good News, and to help our neighbor.
About Raymond:
Raymond Pierre-Luis was born and raised in the worst slum area of Port au Prince, Haiti. As a young boy, he followed the advice of an American Missionary and learned English. As he grew, he became a translator, sometimes for the Missionaries. Over time, he became a Christian. He is now fluent in five languages and is working on his Masters of Divinity in the United States. Upon graduation, he plans to start a Haitian Church in Miami, Florida which has the largest concentration of Haitian people in America. | 
