The Practice of Generosity

The theme we are exploring at South Valley UU Society in March is Generosity. I have definitely experienced that it is easier to be generous at certain times in my life rather than other times. If I feel like I have had my time, my space, and have been able to take a walk outside, eat a good dinner, have a cup of good coffee, then I am much more able to be generous. But I think that generosity is actually a practice we need to nurture so that it isn’t dependent on having all of the other aspects of our lives taken care of before we can be generous. And what does it really mean to be generous, or to be a community of generosity? I think there are several aspects of generosity to examine. First, I believe that yes, generosity does spring out of an “abundance of heart,” meaning that we have to feel like there is space within us to be generous. In the words of Mother Teresa, “…it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing, a lifelong sharing of love with others.” Within all of the religious traditions, generosity is held up as a virtue and a way of living that is in alignment with God, the Divine, the great mystery, however you conceive of the sacred. Buddhist teachings offer that an open mind and a generous heart are necessary to lead a spiritual life. In the gospel of Luke in the New Testament, Jesus advises his followers "to give and it will be given to you." And for Muslims, generosity is one of the major tenets of Islam during the month of Ramadan and throughout the year. I often find that no matter what theme I am exploring, it is often found throughout religious traditions, across cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Learning how to be generous with ourselves, with each other and in our lives is a practice. It is a practice that is desperately needed in our communities and around the world right now. We often see generosity surface during a trajedy or a crisis. Let's not wait until those times to give to each other and ourselves.