“Charity is a virtue which, when our affections are perfectly ordered, unites us to God. For by it we love him.” – St. Augustine

What do you do when you’re confronted with someone in need? Do you automatically stop what you are doing and reach out to help? Sometimes it’s just that easy. We don’t ignore the elderly woman struggling with packages or hesitate to open the door for someone in a wheelchair, or offer a ride to the one who needs to get to a job interview.

But there are other needs that confront us that really cost us something. What do we do then? If our focus is on what it will cost us in money, time, or pain, we become hesitant to commit, we hold back on helping. Is that how Jesus would be thinking? Our focus is so easily turned from the person in need to what their need may demand of us. His never was.

The only way never to be in such a situation is not to have a family, not to have friends. If we live in isolation, no one will ever need our help. But what kind of life is that? Relationships cost us something. We are called to live in community – to love our neighbors, to support our brothers and sister in Christ, and to give generously.“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” (Amy Carmichael).

We don’t need to solve everyone’s problems, but we do need to love them as Jesus would if he were in our place. That’s what love does.

“…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” – Luke 6:38