Page 256 - A Call For Unity

A Call for Unity

Some passages from the Torah in which parsimony is
condemned and generosity praised are as follows:
…do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.
Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.
(Deuteronomy, Bap 15, 7-8)
"Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save
himself by his treasure. Nothing is left for him to devour; his pros-
perity will not endure. In the midst of his plenty, distress will
overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him. When
he has filled his belly, God will vent His burning anger against
Him and rain down His blows upon Him.(Job, 20: 20-23)
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds un-
duly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who
refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs, 11: 24-25)
The Gospel proclaims that wealth can prevent people from
practicing the religion's morality (Matthew, 19: 23) and that You

cannot serve both God and money (Luke, 16: 13) (Allah is be-
yond this). It also relates the story of a rich but stupid man
who horded possessions to ensure his security:
... The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He
thought to himself: "What shall I do? I have no place to store my
crops." Then he said: "This is what I will do. I will tear down my
barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain
and my goods. And I will say to myself: 'You have plenty of good
things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be
merry.'" But God said to him: "You fool! This very night your
life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have
prepared for yourself?" This is how it will be with anyone who
stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. (Luke, 12:
16-21)

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