Article March 9, 2020 Issue

The true spirit of philanthropy

Ingrid Peschke

Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor’s Christian Science Perspective column December 3, 2019.

A friend of mine recently gave a talk on philanthropy to a group of incarcerated men. Those men had been given the opportunity to contribute time and talent to progressive programs—one of which, I’m told, has led to a 0 percent recidivism rate among released prisoners. “When I told the men that they, too, were philanthropists, you should have seen the look on their faces! They were redefined in that moment,” she said.

I love this reframing of “philanthropy” as something that’s not limited to people who give away large amounts of wealth. At its roots, genuine philanthropy is about the love of humankind. And there are many ways to love beyond giving money.

This idea of loving humankind lines up with some of the best givers I’ve ever heard of. Many of them are recorded in the Bible, with Christ Jesus certainly standing out among the bunch. His is the gift that keeps on giving. I often ask myself where I would be today without Jesus’ example of living love so fully that it healed and regenerated lives.

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