August 13

“And then, lastly, the rich men, rich in character, must know that no man can give character to other men without self-sacrifice. Labour, personal effort, personal intercourse with the poor, these must come in before the work can be done. You cannot do your duty to the poor by a society, your life must touch their life. You try to work solely by a society, and what does it come to? Is it not the old story of the book of Samuel? The traveller appeals to you, and you spare to take of your own thought and time and sympathy to give to the wayfaring man that is come to you. They are too precious, you say. ‘There is thought, time, sympathy, down at the charity bureau to which I have a right by virtue of a contribution I have made, go down and get a ticket’s worth of that.’

“The poor are always with us. The wayfarers come to us continually, and they do not come by chance. God sends them. And as they come with their white faces and their poor shuffling feet, they are our judges. Not merely by whether we give, but by how we give, and by what we give, they judge us. One man sends them entirely away. Another drops a little easy, careless, unconscientious money into their hands. Another man washes and clothes. Another man teaches them lessons. Thank God there are some men and women here and there, full of the power of the Gospel, who cannot rest satisfied till they have opened their very hearts, and given the poor wayfaring men the only thing which really is their own, themselves, their faith, their energy, their hope in God. Of such true charity-givers, may He who gave Himself for us increase the multitude among us every day.”

PHILLIPS BROOKS