There has been considerable research into altruism and why people help others, or why they refuse to do so. In particular, there is a lot of interest in what causes move people to give aid, while other causes that are seeming just as heartwrenching–or more so–go un aided.
One factor that keeps people from aiding those in need is the feeling of futility. In her article called Why People Don’t Give to Our Causes, Joanne Fritz points out that people are quickly overwhelmed by the needs of others. Paul Slovic’s paper “If I look at the mass, I will never act” uses a quote from Mother Teresa to show that when the needs demonstrated are of a crowd of people instead of one or two, others are less likely to act.
Faced with great need of a great number of people, good-hearted, compassionate people throw up their hands and think, “I can’t help them all. It’s pointless to even try. There’s nothing I can do.” In fact, we can read something about this in the Bible. In Matthew 14:13, we find Christ and His disciples in a remote place, with five thousand people listening to every word that Christ spoke. Finally, at the end of the day, the disciples urged Christ to send the people home, because it was so remote and there was no food available. In verse 16, we read,
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
In short, the need was too great. The disciples could look and see that they didn’t have enough to share. Surely Christ could see that as well! He knew that they had not brough wagon loads of food with them. And yet the direction to the disciples that they should give the people something to eat. Perhaps we have felt that way, too. Perhaps we have sensed our limitations–saying nothing in the face of immense grief, because our words are inadequate. Not donating to good causes because we have only a tiny amount to share–not enough to do anything.
But what did Christ do? He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:18 – 21).
Christ could have satisfied the peoples’ needs in any way He chose, and yet He chose to do it subtly, in a way that was miraculous and yet not immediately staggering. Rather than multiplying the loaves of bread, stacking them in enormous heaps, He blessed the bread and made it sufficient as it was being broken and taken to the people.
As we look at the needs around us, we must not grow weary of doing good, as Paul urges in Galatians 6:9. Instead, we must remember through Whom we have the strength to do all things: Jesus Christ. We must be willing to give what we have, and then trust that our Lord will bless it and make it sufficient for the need that we see. This requires us to see need, and not turn a blind eye; we must be willing to give what we have, even if it is not much.
When we look and see the suffering of so many, whether at church, at work, or a thousand miles away, let us consider the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Let us first bring our offering before God, and then give it where it will do good. Let us then be willing to trust that our small effort will be made sufficient, no matter how great the need.
Excellent points, Katherine! It is too easy to become overwhelmed, weary in well doing and discouraged. If we each care for one need at a time, perhaps God will multiply the few loaves and fish we have.
Great insight, as usual! I suppose that in the same way that charities draw people in by highlighting the needs of a particular person, we also should view every opportunity to help others in the same way, regardless of the whether we can give them enough or not.
Yes, Very good!