There have been a number of news reports locally on churches and schools which have come to the aid of Haiti. In more than a few of these reports, there’s more than a little self congratulation going on. ‘We have raised…’ ‘We are sending…’ ‘We have assembled a team…’
So all this pointing to self raises an important question: whatever happened to Jesus’ injunction that when believers do acts of charity, they don’t let their ‘left hand know what their right hand is doing’?
Who’s notifying the media about these efforts? One can assume, probably correctly, that someone involved in the fund raising is calling or emailing their local media representatives. I don’t think the media are calling around to churches and christian schools asking ‘are you guys helping with Haiti relief?’
There’s great things going on in Haiti relief. And the greatest things are precisely the very things you’ll never hear about in the press, because those doing them aren’t looking for their 15 minutes of fame, they’re looking to help those hurting and in need.
If others boast of you, well and good. But boasting of yourself when doing acts of charity in the name of Christ smells a bit of self-aggrandizement and is, therefore, charity of an un-christian nature.
