The Widow’s Mite: All Gifts are Equal If Given with a Pure Heart

I get a different message from this story. The message I get is that this person gave with a pure heart. In the story, others around her were giving large sums of money, at least that is implied. It is also implied that, maybe those folks, giving the larger sums, really did not want to give what they were giving. The Widow, however actually wanted to give. Her gift was given with a pure heart. With an intention of really wanting to give. It seemed as if, Jesus’ disciples were ready to make a negative judgment on her gift, however he stopped them and let them know the whole story, while implying a pure intention in her heart.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seyyed_mostafa_zamani/4266283238/

At this point I will go beyond the teachings of most religions, in regards to what I feel merits a gift being given with a pure heart. To me a gift given with a pure heart is one that a person actually wants to give. Not a gift given to “lay up treasures in heaven”, “pay it forward”, or “get good karma”. In my opinion, all of those reasons are self serving. I often wonder why religions lay that trip on people. Maybe the sages of centuries past did not realize how pathetically selfish those reasons sounded, when they suggested them to their followers, or maybe it was just a way to get folks to give up their wealth to those same sages. As such, I am not suggesting that you examine your own reasons, for giving gifts of any kind, in order to see if your intention is pure. That would be futile and leave you never giving with a pure heart. You can not give with a pure heart, if you have conscious thought about your reason for giving a gift. If you give with a pure heart, you just give the gift and do not think about the reason you are giving it.

Image by stuartpilbrow via Flickr

In writing this article, I am not actually concerned with your personal reasons for giving the gifts you give, or if you give any gifts. That is your business, not mine or that of anyone else. What I am concerned with, is something that does affect everyone, that is the way in which people view the gifts that other people give. Many people are either blown away by a large gift, or disgusted at a small gift. Some make judgments on the gifts other give without knowing the full story, or the intention in the heart of the giver.  The negative energy that is created by this mind set is almost pathogenic to our collective unconsciousness. The very act of passing judgment on the gifts another chooses to give actually causes an energy that is toxic, and when those thoughts are put into words they create even more negative energy. This way of thinking has to go. What I am trying to do, in my own mind and life, is to not be concerned with what others do in regards to gift giving. At times, I may fail at this, yet I believe that if we all stop making judgments about the size of the gifts, people give in earnest, the world will be a much better place. There are so many other problems in the world that adding to them, by getting bent out of shape at the size of a gift someone else gives another person, or organization, or even if they give a gift at all, is ridiculous. Ultimately, if gifts are truly given with a pure heart, no one but the giver, and possibly the receiver, would know who gave them, or their size, in the first place. The negative energy that is generated, by all of those who piss and moan, about the size of gifts other people give, or if others give at all, is such a dangerous thing that needs to stop. So stop it and live your own life! You do know what I mean by that.

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