Generosity in the news
Why God Said, “Don’t Harvest It All”
Holy Post Media
You may be familiar with the system of “gleaning” God gives his people in Deuteronomy. Writer Esau McCaulley argues that this Old Testament economic safety net is one of the key passages that can help us understand the Bible.
“One key lesson here is that even in a land of abundance, there will always be those who are left out of that abundance. What are the people of God supposed to do in this context? Moses wants the people to understand that their goal is not to maximize profits.
“... Instead, through this passage, God is saying: your job is not to maximize things for yourself, but to leave margin—to practice intentional “inefficiency”—for the sake of those who are suffering.”
More Foundations Opt for Spend-Down Strategies
Philanthropy Roundtable
High profile givers like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have recently announced strategies to give away all of their charitable reserves within 10 to 20 years. That’s a little different from the long-term, dynastic philanthropy we’re used to.
A growing number of generous families are considering similar sunsets. The Johnson Center offers a thought-provoking list of tradeoffs.
Would you, like Bill Gates, prefer to “give while you live” and empty the coffers by 2045? Or, would you rather set a trajectory for impact that you entrust to the second and third generations?
MrBeast, Jimmy Darts and the Business of Being Generous
Relevant Magazine
“The more outlandish the generosity, the more views it earns. The more views it earns, the more money comes in to fund the next giveaway. It’s charity as content loop. On paper, it’s a win-win.”
Writer Annie Eisner offers a thoughtful evaluation of the “extravagant charity stunts” that generate millions of views (and dollars) on YouTube and TikTok. Content creators buy groceries, fund surgeries, and build homes for needy strangers—all on camera, of course!
Flashy generosity content presents the newest version of an age-old question: Is a good deed done for personal gain still good? Is that even the right question for a Christian to ask?
