Free of Charge

The reciprocal exchange of gifts expresses and nourishes a community of love. Take reciprocity out of gift giving, and community disintegrates into discrete individuals. Without any reciprocity, the best-case scenario would be that we all live on our individual islands and anonymously send and receive “packages” to help those who can’t help themselves, or – amounting to nearly the same (though minus the willingness of gift giving!) – we all send our contributions to the government for distribution to the needy

Things I am given are not just mine. Even if they are in my hands, some of them belong to my neighbors in need. I have an obligation to pass them on.

Unlike merely human love, divine love gives and doesn’t receive

But if God is the source of all our good, then God must be the source of our freedom from sin.

We know it is good to receive, and we have been blessed by receiving not only as children, but also as adults. Yet Jesus taught that it is moreblessed to givethan to receive (Acts 20:35), and part of growing up is learning the art of giving. If we fail to learn this art, we will live unfulfilled lives, and in the end, chains of bondage will replace the bonds that keep our communities together. If we just keep taking or even trading, we will squander ourselves. If we give, we will regain ourselves as fulfilled individuals and flourishing communities.