The Pledge

In a special section of the NYT published on November 11, Stephanie Strom reports on something in the philanthropic world that has come to be known simply as “the pledge.” 40 multimillionaires and billionaires have committed to giving at least half of their wealth away:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/giving/11PLEDGE.html?pagewanted=all

There have been many critics of the effort, which is headed by the Gates’ and Warren Buffet, especially in light of the recent public scrutiny of how some wealthy used their donations to influence politics in recent elections, and some have noted the several of the pledges are to multigenerational trusts (whateverthat means) instead of immediate philanthropic work. However, the important thing, I think, is that they are giving. Politics aside, the Bible teaches us that all Christians, and in particular those who have an abundance of wealth, have a duty to give to those in need.

It is inspiring, and very noble, of these people to give away so much of what they have worked hard their whole lives to earn. I cannot imagine working myself to the bone around the clock, as many do to succeed in the business world, and then just give away what I have earned the hard way, to people whom I am not even sure work as hard as I do. Giving is hard, and I think that everyone should learn from these people’s example. Not that I would recommend everyone give half of what they have away (after all, only having half of my savings account would make it harder than it already is to pay for school), but after all, God has promised that he will provide. If we trust in Him, I think we will find that we can do without a lot more than we think, and that there are many other people out there who can use what we might not need.