What is a Charitable Deduction?

Peter's Mother Feeling Poorly

A Charitable Deduction?
It is a bookkeeping entry, an accounting event.
Charities defined by the Revenue authorities mean a good deal to accountants, but nothing to God.

Our engagements with the poor, with the sick, with the needy are specifically spoken about in the gospels as being primary engagements, or mano a mano if you will. When Jesus spoke of the sick, He did not throw a few denarii to some people engaged in health care: he went to see Peter's mother - a primary engagement.

He did not say we had to make a living doing such things, nor did he say we had to particularly love it beyond rational understanding; He did say it was a duty we could not slough off nor escape.
We do not have to embrace lepers, nor do we have to "love" those to whom we minister, but we must perform the ministry ourselves; it cannot be assigned to self-appointed ministers.

Our meditation should be directed to finding the frame of other-mindedness we require to make this committment. It is a long-term commitment to a short-term engagement: our lives need to be punctuated with real and first hand charity.

Else, we are not Christian.

Take your pick!

Many of us already have, and choose to ignore those who are in need!
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