" Good evening, I've come to collect your Christian Aid envelope"
"I think I must have lost it " (looks around for it rather vaguely)
"I do have spares, if you'd like to make a donation"
"No, I'm OK thanks"
And that's just it, isn't it. We are OK. Pity the same isn't true for everyone.
One lady handed me an envelope full- to -bursting with coppers. She had been saving them up all year so that she could give them to me today! This is what keeps me coming back to do this year after year.
It does make you think, doesn't it. While collecting I was struck by the same indifference of people who found it quite acceptable to say that they weren't interested in donating and yet were undoubtedly pleased to show off a BMW in the drive.
ReplyDeleteI did wonder whether or not it is fact worth it to collect in this way until I met a young family whose envelope was there at the ready for collection and was reminded of the story in the Gospels of the poor widow who gives everything she has when I met another elderly woman who quite clearly had precious little to give and yet. managed to gather together all her loose change and was pleased to donate it.
Catherine -
ReplyDeleteIt used to be a well known fact that people from poorer areas gave proportionally more to Christian Aid during CA Week than people from wealthier areas. The 'widows mite' story still speaks to today.