Should I donate to “Gift of the Givers”
This was originally posted on 6 August 2006
The situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border over the past fortnight is horrific. It is not my intention to discuss the various merits of each side’s (by this I refer to Israel and Hizbullah) claims, although I believe both sides have a point and both have over reacted and need to be held to account for their actions.
The point of this post, however, is to ask for your input on a question this conflict has raised for me.
There is an organisation in South Africa called ‘The Gift of the Givers’. They collect essential supplies and provide services and medicines to people impacted by natural disasters and warfare. They have an impeccable reputation and are wonderfully transparent, highly accountable in their reporting and super media savvy. And they collect literally millions and millions of rands of supplies, and get it to disaster zones faster than anyone else seems able to.
And they are Muslim.
As I have considered how to contribute to some relief for those caught up in the current crisis in the Middle East, it struck me that the most appropriate and effective use of my donation would be to give it via The Gift of the Givers.
But should I? They seem to have no proseletising motive – yet, I know how “devious” some Christian agencies are in this regard. As a Muslim organisation, there is no doubt an attempt to do what they do, “in the name of Allah”, even though this is never stated.
But why are there no Christian agencies doing work in the Middle East right now? Oh, I am sure that there ARE some, but where is their profile? Or, to put it another way, where is the voice, and hands and feet of Jesus in this mess?
Should I scrounge around some more to find the Christian witness, or should I see the most obvious and visible and active channel as a means to touch the people in Lebanon. Does it matter that I do it in the name of Jesus, but do it through an organisation that does not? (If so, where does that leave all the non-aligned NGO’s, like Red Cross and UN?).
I’d appreciate your comments.
No related posts.
Linda Martindale commented on the original site:
I personally have no objection to donating to an organisation that is not Christian, if I have a concern about a particular issue that no Christian organisation that I am aware of is involved in. In my mind, it is not an issue whether they are Atheist or Muslim or … if my concern is that people in the Middle East need practical help … and Gift of the Givers are doing that without the sole purpose of converting people, I would have no problem. I would see it as similar to before Christians were really involved in the environment .. I would still have put money where my mouth was, if the environment was of deep concern to me, and supported a ‘green’ organisation even if it were New Age, IF it were achieving objectives that I was committed to. But now that I know of good Christian environmental organisations … I would direct my funds there. What is the objective of my giving? Is it being met by the people I am channeling money to? These are the questions I would ask myself.
Hameed commented on the original site:
I am from Sri Lanka and I had the good fortune of coordinating the post- Tsunami Relief work in Sri Lanka for the Gift of the Givers Foundation – South Africa.
The Foundation funded the buiding of 50 Houses for the Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.
Gift of the Givers Foundation was one of the very first NGO’s to respond and they were in Sri Lanka in less than 24 hours of the disaster with emergency relief.
This is not the first time they have been the first. The foundation count many firsts in many countries.
It might be useful to the donors to know that we operated in Sri Lanka with minimum administartive costs and there were no expatriates stationed here.
It might also be useful to note that their aim is to provide Humanitarian Aid regardless of race or religion.
A good many people have become paranoid with the word muslim. One must note that there are a very few Muslim Humanitarian organisations – and Gift of the Givers is one of those few.
Graeme,
One of the pitfalls of the Church is that we tend to believe (if not in word, then certainly in deed) that God only works through Christians (or through the Church or through the people of God). Yet God is constantly up to new things, and works through all sorts of people and agencies. A primary difference for us as Christians, is that as we are engaged in doing God’s work in the world, we know that we are part of something bigger. We know (or at least we should know) that we’re doing something that is part of what God is up to in the world.
Although I know nothing about Gift of the Givers (other than what you have written), it seems to me that this is God at work. And we who are Christians should get on board with what God is doing.
One of the ways I challenge the people in my congregation is asking the question: Where do you see God at work? What is going on in our community/state/nation/world that is breaking God’s heart? What is going on in our community/state/nation/world that makes God smile? Where can you jump on board with what God is already doing so that God’s work and will may be accomplished?
A few random thoughts Graeme. Thanks for your words.
Steve
This is, as they say, a bit of a no brainer. If Christian’s pray in their churches (which I sincerely hope they do) for those of any and every faith in the Middle East the next step is to support the work of relief and humanitarian aid. Giving through reputable organizations that have the sole interest of providing immediately to those in need has a Biblical precedent here. Didn’t Jesus say something like, If you wish someone well and do nothing about it then what use is that (my paraphrase)! Christians in the U.K give through an organization called the D.E.C which is a conglomeration of aid agencies, Christian and secular. The purpose of this co-operative stance is to get the aid quickest to the places that most need it. I agree fully with the random thoughts of Steve Mayer. The Christendom mentality that occupies many of the EPC churches in particular demands that God be limited to their notion of ‘kingdom’. When I read my Bible I see a God who is boundless in compassion, mercy, and love not only to those who profess Christian faith but to all people in creation. It would be wrong to support an organization that is overtly Islamic and engaged in the mission of Islam if you are non-Muslim. If a relief organization takes both the good will offering of Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or who ever and uses them for good without the intent of promoting any religious agenda then God bless their work of compassion, mercy, and love. Peace Graeme :<.