When giving is not enough

This an odd title for a blog especially at the time of year. The time of giving, the time of concerns, when we look to the poor among us. When we a s a society express kindness to the "least of these". From now until the end of the year (or the end of the shopping season) media of all kinds will inundate our lives, with pleas, to matching funds, and to our sense of right and wrong to give. We will be reminded with subtle films as "It is a wonderful life" and The Christmas story and be glad that we have avoided Scrooge stinginess and dislike of the day (more on this in another blog) and feel the "joy" of his religious awakening!! We will smile at the Tint Tim assertion of "God bless us everyone" and the holidays will end until next year when the process starts again.

But is giving enough? Is the coin we give enough to relieve the misery felt by way to many persons especially now. Is giving enough when the emotional baggage weighing down the populace, suffering on the lack of health insurance, shelter, and employment? Is there the tendency to feel guilty at the thought that our giving is really not enough.

I ask this question because the truth is: as a nation of people we can not give anymore. It is not there. It is not working and the old methods of dealing with poverty have long sense evaporated. What all of us face is the fear (real or imagined) we are in the same boat. Everyone in the country is crash away from poverty. Yes even those who print the money!!!
Yet we give at this time of year. Maybe it is the panacea needed to comfort all of us: that we are contributors still, not takers. The ability to give still fills us with joy even in the midst of the poverty we are encased with. Later