Help or Praise: Why do you give?

Ever notice the affect money and material goods plays on how people are treated? A lot of people claim to be Christian but don’t act very “Christ-like” when it comes to parting with their money. It’s crazy but some will give thousands of dollars to their church. Not because God tells them to tithe, but so when the financial statement comes out listing the top givers, they can brag and boast about what material wealth God has blessed them with… but won’t give a homeless man a dollar.

Some people give just so others will praise them for giving. The Bible states in Romans 15: 1-2, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good and build him up.” Contrary to popular belief, life is not about separating ourselves through monetary accomplishments, for money is the root of all evil. Life is about helping others and as it states in Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

A couple of months ago, in downtown Indianapolis, I was walking to CVS and saw a homeless guy sitting on the street.  People were walking by turning their noses up at him, commenting on how bad he smelled, and shunning him like an OutKast of society.  As I approached him I could hear him humming Precious Lord. He was not begging for money or creating any disturbance, just humming.  As I got closer to him he opened his eyes and had the craziest deep blue eyes. He looked at me and said “Aren’t we blessed?” and smiled. I said, “Yes brotha we are." I gave him a $10 I had in my pocket. He said, “Thanks man but I didn’t ask for help.” I responded “Brotha when I help you…I help me”.  As a wise woman (Nana) once told me…”be mindful how you treat people, for you never know when you’re entertaining the presence of God.” 

Let Us Not Forget the Origin of Our Strength

To understand African American people and culture, you must first understand the importance of the church, what its purpose has been throughout history, and the strength spirituality has given us. Historically, we have been exploited for our physical strength and creativity, yet our deep rooted spiritual connection to God and Mother Earth has kept us strong and able to persevere through hard times. The world has seen that you can enslave a people, steal the credit of their inventions, but can never control or kill the power of a divinely guided spirit.

Whitney Houston’s funeral was beautiful. It showed the world how African Americans have dealt with the pain of tragic losses since 1430 when our freedoms were first compromised. The strength gained through prayer and giving God praise has anchored our communities many times over. Watching the coverage of the funeral was somewhat shocking to me though. Most of the reporters seemed to be astonished by the celebratory nature of the service. Even CNN's Don Lemon seemed to be unfamiliar with some of the African American funeral traditions shown.

“Rejoice at death and cry at birth” is a phrase my Grandmother (RIP) used to say, but is not found in the scripture. The scripture that supports this idea is Ecclesiastes 7:1, which states, “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.”

The extremely spiritual connection African Americans have experienced over the past 5 centuries is rooted from the extreme hardships and pain we have endured. Life was so hard physically and mentally that the thought of our souls being at rest brought more happiness than pain. We were lied to and treated horribly in so many ways that we came to understand “trust no man, only God alone.” We realized that life and death is a circle of energy. The promise of death, for those who believe in the Creator, equals the promise of everlasting life, rest and peace.

What the world saw was not a show. It was the sincere outpouring of love, grief, and thanks to God for granting Whitney Houston the time on earth that she had. The world saw the strength of a people who have become far too familiar with dealing with tragic losses. Too many times today African American churches have turned into big business, and worship programs seem to be extravagant well directed plays.

African Americans should be reminded to maintain and strengthen the spiritual connection our ancestors passed down to us.  Let it continue to be a reflection of our strength as in the centuries past. In society today, there has been a movement to leave behind the old traditions and the outlook of African American churches and communities. If we forget where we have been, Lord knows we will be blind as we progress in the future.