The taho vendor and lessons in charity

What does it mean to be charitable? Does it only mean to give? Does it have to be something expected as Christians? I think people have different ways of seeing charity. To some, an act of mercy; for others perfunctory; and for quite a many, it’s more of like showbiz where kind-heartedness only comes out when in front of the camera. It is easy to practice charity but hard to make someone really charitable in the real sense of the word.

I would like to think, too, that charity from the point of business culture is for the most part mechanical or more of like making an impression that they’re doing their part as good corporate citizens. Companies that seemingly spend a lot in charitable works may also be driven by the tax incentives they get from giving.

So how can we tell that a person or a business, for that matter, is charitable? While the question is hard to answer but I do agree that genuine charity is when one gets hurt by what he or she gives. In the words of Mother Teresa, “give until it hurts.” Jesus describes the act of charity as an act of sacrifice. The Bible presents an example about the Widow’s Mite where she (the widow) donated two small coins (her last), while wealthy people donated much more. Jesus explains to his disciples that the small sacrifices of the poor mean more to God than the extravagant donations of the rich.

I bring this issue of charity in this column not to declare that I am such kind of person (which I am not) but I was moved by the act of charity by that taho vendor I saw yesterday. As I was having my late morning coffee in a bakeshop just across the office of a friend, I saw kids thronging every customer that enters the store. The sight of young mendicants (some as young as three years old) that crowd bakeshops and fastfood is not unusual for me. They seem to be everywhere in Cebu’s busy streets (paging Cebu City Hall). But what makes the scene so specially touching was when I saw that taho vendor trying to story-tell the kids then rewarded each of them with a warm cup of taho for listening to his short tale.

As I finished my coffee, I thought I should buy myself a cup just to chitchat with the guy. I managed to ask him how much he was earning in a day and how long it would take him to earn him that. In good days, he would earn like 200-250 pesos net and in bad days, about a hundred or so. And then I made some calculations that he probably spent like 100-120 pesos of his earnings to the poor kids or roughly half of what he was going to earn that day. 

It brings me to the question if there are any of us who are willing to give up half of our net earnings for the day in order to feed the hungry people we encounter. This also raises the question if there are any business people these days that have the time or the enthusiasm to spend half their day’s earnings to feed the hungry. I don’t know, but it takes quite a miracle to see like this taho vendor. It’s such a shame that most people (me included) give only when we have something extra in our pockets or when we find no use of the things we have. And there are those who are willing to give when they have the time to do so.

If I were to encapsulate the lesson from out of that ordinary but rare encounter, I think genuine charity is when we are wholly willing to give what we dearly and unwillingly give up and when we make time, not just find time, to spend to listen and care for others. 

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I would like to take this opportunity to knock on your charitable spirit to help support the operations the Little Lamb Center -- Missionaries of the Poor. The center keeps abandoned and sick children; mentally-ill and challenged kids, as well as the elderly. They are in dire need right now of medicines such as antibiotics, vitamins, cough remedies, and medical supplies. I invite everyone of you to find time to visit the center so you will see for yourself how desperately they need of your help. Missionaries of the Poor is located in Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City. You may directly send in your help directly to the center.

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