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The joy of giving
'Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.' Deuteronomy 16:17
The award-winning film Schindler's List, is the story of one man's efforts to bring hope in a desperate situation. As the boss of a factory in Germany, Oskar Schindler decides to use his position to save lives. By employing Jews from the concentration camp in his factory, Oskar rescues them from the gas chambers. But it's expensive, so he starts selling his personal possessions in order to keep the business afloat.
At the end of the story the Nazis are defeated and the full impact of Oskar's effort is revealed as the dead are counted and the living stagger back to freedom. But kneeling by the railway tracks that carried thousands of Jews to their death, Oskar realises he could have saved more. Overwhelmed with regret, he thinks of the few goods still remaining in his possession; what else could he have sold to save a life? But it was too late. Yes, Schindler was a hero. But interestingly, all he could think about was what he didn't do. He wished he had done more.
We learn a powerful lesson about giving from this man; if even generous givers look back on their lives and wish they'd done more what about those who never gave at all, or gave less than they could, what will say when they stand before God? OK, Christmas is over, but that doesn't mean the giving stops.
written by Bob Gass
'Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.' Deuteronomy 16:17
The award-winning film Schindler's List, is the story of one man's efforts to bring hope in a desperate situation. As the boss of a factory in Germany, Oskar Schindler decides to use his position to save lives. By employing Jews from the concentration camp in his factory, Oskar rescues them from the gas chambers. But it's expensive, so he starts selling his personal possessions in order to keep the business afloat.
At the end of the story the Nazis are defeated and the full impact of Oskar's effort is revealed as the dead are counted and the living stagger back to freedom. But kneeling by the railway tracks that carried thousands of Jews to their death, Oskar realises he could have saved more. Overwhelmed with regret, he thinks of the few goods still remaining in his possession; what else could he have sold to save a life? But it was too late. Yes, Schindler was a hero. But interestingly, all he could think about was what he didn't do. He wished he had done more.
We learn a powerful lesson about giving from this man; if even generous givers look back on their lives and wish they'd done more what about those who never gave at all, or gave less than they could, what will say when they stand before God? OK, Christmas is over, but that doesn't mean the giving stops.
written by Bob Gass
