Charity

Yesterday I attended an Interfaith Youth Forum held on my campus. It was entitled “Charity Begins with You(th)”. Seven representatives of different faiths were sitting on the panel.

The first panelist said that in his faith, giving a smile to someone is an act of charity.

Another panelist emphasized on the right attitude of doing charity to the poor and the weak.

Another one narrated what he had witnessed in the hospital where people offered care and assistance regardless of the ethnic groups.

Another one shared his childhood experience of being shown acts of kindness and given teaching of the charity.

Another one zealously talked about how he had been involved in charity since his high school days. And now being a dentist with a busy working schedule, he was still able to gather like-minded people to reach out to Orang Asli children.

Another one simply read out the verses in his religion about charity.

The last and youngest panelist encouraged the youth in the audience to start doing charity early. Before he ended his speech, he mentioned that he had just received the news of the passing of his friend’s father yesterday morning. He almost couldn’t finish his sentence as he was getting emotional and wiping his eyes.

From smiles to tears, I saw acts of charity.

God has indeed given each and everyone of us the ability to do charity because He first did charity by blessing us, keeping us, smiling on us, gifting us as well as weeping with us.

Most of us, He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.