In this stellar meditation on the biblical practice of almsgiving, Gary A. Anderson, a Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Notre Dame, presents some helpful ways to think about charity to the poor. For many Jews and Christians, it is natural to see this act of giving to the needy as "an expression of faith in God." Anderson would also have us open our hearts to beggars and bums looking for handouts as opportunities to meet God in the face of the poor.
The author turns to the biblical books of Tobit, Sirach, and Proverbs along with rabbinical commentary for his contention that almsgiving is a stay against the habit of the rich to seek security by hoarding. The spiritual path lies in taking a leap into the dark by trusting that good will come out of our giving to the poor. We were quite taken with the idea of giving alms as a loan to God.
Other aspects in the divine-human economy covered in the book include sections on storing good works in Heaven; the links between prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; sacrificial giving; and your alms as a memorial. So the next time you encounter a poor person on the streets asking for food or money, respond in love and rejoice that your charity is an expression of faith, a sacramental act, and a loan to God.
