I am currently reading Robert Luptin's
Toxic Charity. A good read -yes. A MUST read, really.
If you are involved in charity on any level, whether giving a regular tithe to your church diaconal
fund, volunteering at a local non-profit, or enjoying full time
employment in a local ministry, there is something for you. Actually,
there is
something in this book which you urgently need to hear.
Instead of attempting to re-word Luptin's already masterfully written work, let me instead include a short paragraph from his chapter entitled "The Anatomy of Giving":
Mercy is also a portal through which we glimpse the heart of God.
The tug on our heartstrings draws us in. But soon we encounter
brokenness so overwhelming that neither tender heart nor inventive
problem solver feels up to the task. Our solutions fall short.
Pathologies are too deep, pathologies too entrenched. And we descend
into our own poverty, a poverty of spirit, a crisis of confidence in our
own abilities to rescue. And, like the broken, we find ourselves
calling out to God for answers. When our best efforts have failed us, we
are left with nothing to cling to but frail faith. ...In a strange
twist of divine irony, those who would extend mercy discover that they
themselves are in need of mercy. Out of our own need, we are readied for
service that is both humble and wise.
...And that is just one gem from page 42! Read this book. I promise it will be well worth your time. Luptin
has taken the time (40+ years) to learn that not all charity is good
charity. Some can be quite deadly to both giver and receiver. However, Luptin
does not merely tell his readers to stay clear of charity; but he
instead spurs them on to be excellent in acts of mercy and justice, in
the Lord's name.
Read this book.
