Charity is not about money, it's about love
By Huang Haiying (Shanghai Star)
Updated: 2004-05-17 09:32

With his release of the "List of Most Generous Philanthropists on the Chinese mainland of 2004", Rupert Hoogewerf, a Shanghai-based British, concluded that the Chinese mainland China still lacks philanthropic entrepreneurs. Mr. Hoogewerf also made a comment citing Andrew Carnegie, an American capitalist icon: "To die rich is to die disgraced".

Rupert Hoogewerf, talks with China's citizens at sina [newsphoto]

Hoogewerf's comment has attracted a lot of attention from society. All of a sudden, there is a call in China for private entrepreneurs to take more responsibility for charitable activities. From an economist's point of view, donations by the rich will help narrow China's widening wealth gap, which is threatening social stability.

Nevertheless, all the attention and responses to the line, "To die rich is to die disgraced" seems to put too much emphasis on money. People tend to think that money is the key element in charitable contributions.

Admittedly, raising funds for charity is an admirable accomplishment. With the donated money, it is usually much easier to carry on charitable activities. But charity is not just giving money. There are things money cannot buy. The core of charity is love.

As human beings, we have been created to love and to be loved. Just as Mother Teresa said, the hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. If a wealthy person gives money without love, thinking that he is doing a great favour, he is sadly mistaken. Even if a person gives all he possesses to the poor and surrender his body to the flames, without love he gains nothing. On the contrary, it is more gratifying to devote time to care and to show concern with love than simply to give money.

Moreover, all this attention appears to place too much attention on private entrepreneurs. It gives people the impression that charity is just the business of rich people. While it is true that private wealth can help alleviate poverty through charity, charity should be the business of all those who are willing to give with love. When it comes to giving out of love, there is nothing too small, and nothing too great.

The comment also implies that the business elite is supposed to have more of a social conscience than average people. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Sometimes "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God".

There are a variety of factors hindering Chinese private entrepreneurs when it comes to getting involved in charity. Some rich people are reluctant to make donations because they feel that their success in their career is the result of their own efforts, intelligence and abilities. Therefore, there is no reason for people other than their family to share in the results.

Some other wealthy people hide their wealth for fear of causing envy or hatred, which might even endanger their safety or their families. Additionally, many wealthy people might also like to show their generosity on occasions when they feel they would be rewarded through an elevated reputation of other advantages.

Charity should be warmly welcomed because it is more blessed to give than to receive. However, I believe that the essence of charity is love. I also believe that it is the call of the whole society to increase charity in every possible way. Each of us should be inspired and inspire others to give with love.

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