The Widow’s Mite

There’s a great story in the Bible book of Mark about a poor widow who puts a much larger proportion of her income into the church offering basket than those of greater means.  (Mark 12:41-44)  Jesus makes sure to point this out to his disciples.  While it’s important to be as financially generous with one’s faith community or favorite charitable organizations as one can be, that’s not what this post is about.

Giving money away to those who can use it to better this world is a great thing.  But there are powers greater than money for making improvements in how things operate.  Your time is one of them.  Are you an active volunteer for the causes you love?  I’m not suggesting that you spread yourself thin doing something for everyone.  But if you love your church, are you actively serving in it?  If you agree that homelessness or clean water or animal rights or children’s issues (or any other number of pressing social needs) are important, are you actually spending some of your precious and limited time doing something to make a difference?  Are you giving at least a widow’s mite of time to show you care?

Prayer is another way to be actively involved.  Praying about all of these heart-rending concerns can help to open your eyes to the most useful ways to spend your time and money.  But more than that, it can help you to move thought towards the hope and possibility of even eradicating them.  Yes, eradicating.  In a universe where God is supreme and all loving and all wise, doesn’t it follow that we must expect the healing of those things that don’t correspond with His nature?  This kind of contribution is perhaps the most important and necessary.  And the most effective.

How are you spending your widow’s mite of time and prayer?  Jesus’ example showed how natural it was to love so deeply and clearly that issues simply dissolved around him.  Nor did he ever suggest that he was too busy to turn to his Heavenly Father to seek a solution.  This is what he taught his disciples, this is what he taught us.

We can do it.  We can spend at least a widow’s mite loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Join me.

Melissa Hayden is a Christian Science practitioner in Salem, OR. You can find more information and additional articles at this link.  If you like what you’re reading, click the “add me” button.