Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:19-24
“To go back to Christian origins, St. Paul writes about the spiritual life as meaning ‘of the Spirit of God’ and contrasts the strength of spiritual living with the frailty of human nature. Christians are people who have the mind of Christ; they do spiritual things in accordance with Christ’s Spirit. This spirituality is seen in acts of love and generosity, whereas he describes the signs of unspiritual living as quarrels, greed, and selfishness. So for the early church, spiritual meant godly and generous living.”
Abbot Christopher Jamison in Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press).
The day was 26 June 2009. I set it aside for prayer and reflection in a season of vocational transition. I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do. He gently reminded me that He did not need me to do anything, and that He had the whole universe sorted. I then asked the Lord what He wanted me to be, and just like Sarah laughed when God said He wanted her to be a “mommy” I felt like God said, I want you to be the Generosity Monk and dedicate your life to encouraging Christian generosity.
For my “daily office” (that’s the routine of a monk associated with his commitments), I determined that I would read God’s Word and what saints through the centuries said about generosity and post it so that others may benefit. It would later become a daily blog with many readers. This morning, nearly seven years and 2,500 daily posts later, I returned to the first book I read as the Generosity Monk, Finding Sanctuary. Great little book. Consider the idea that Abbot Jamison posits in today’s post.
It was set forth by the Apostle Paul and has been affirmed by thousands of saints since then. Generosity is not something we do, but what we are when we live in the Spirit and function with the mind of Christ. To be spiritual is to be godly and generous. Father in Heaven, so that quarrels, greed, and selfishness are crucified in each of our lives, help us keep in step with the Spirit with the mind of Christ so that our spirituality reflects your generosity for another 2,500 days or until you call us home. Amen.