Soldier On! w/Leroy Garrett   — Occasional Essays

It struck me as an unusual ad – in a Harvard mailout – "Earn Money By Giving It Away." If you will give your money to Harvard, or to most any charitable organization, they will pay you a generous return each quarter for the rest of your life. But the money is gone; it is no longer yours – unless you make it revocable (If you change your mind, you can take the money back), but then you earn less money. It is called a gift annuity.

This "earn money by giving money" idea has something of a biblical touch – akin to saving one’s life by losing one’s life, or being first by being last. It is reflective of the radical teaching of Jesus: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

Some years ago I was challenged by a Christian economist who urged followers of Jesus to "die broke," having given all their money away. Ouida and I talked this over, and we agreed that it was a Christ-like goal – to die broke. Since one needs some resources for retirement and old age – I had rather live in the woods and eat berries than be a burden to others – the gift annuity plan is an effective way to do this. You give your money away, but you earn enough from it to live on.

We chose two organizations to which to give our money – the World Bible Translation Center, a Churches of Christ ministry in Arlington, Texas, which translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles in many languages; and Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for the poor in a kind of "help people help themselves" method.

Each year we give a substantial portion of our money to these organizations. They in turn issue us a contract, promising to pay us a certain percentage on that money as long as either of us lives. The older you get the more you earn! And there are generous tax benefits. Not only is there a tax credit for the initial gift, but about half of what you earn is tax free – up to about 15 years.

It is important to us that long after we are absent from planet earth our money will be used to promote the Bible, and to build houses for the poor. The money in fact is used that way from the outset.

So, if one of us lives long enough, we will have given away all our money and die broke. But one who follows this plan will not exactly be in poverty. The income on the annuities have a way of multiplying, and with less income tax to pay, one finds that he can now give from what he earns from the money he gives away!

After all, as that Christian economist pointed out, wealth is not measured by what you may have in the bank, but by your income. One could have a considerable sum in the bank but little income. Take it from Harvard, you can earn income by giving your money away! And one does not have to be wealthy to start doing this.

Thinking that more Christians should be aware of this option, I suggested it to an investment banker – a devoted Christian with Christian clients.. She of course knew about gift annuities, but was cool to the idea. People do not want to give their money away, she assured me. When I recounted the benefits, especially for the senior years, she retorted, "Of course they’ll pay you well, you’re giving them your money."

So, I seldom talk about this, not even to friends. I speak personally here for those who might be interested, though I have no interest in imposing our decisions on others. And I recognize that the banker probably has it right. People do not want to give their money away, including Christians, and that is understandable.

And yet that is precisely what Jesus teaches us to do – give it away. "Give, and it will be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall be put in your bosom" (Luke 6:38).

What is the church to say about our Lord’s directive not to hoard up and accumulate wealth? We not only store up earthly treasures, but do so with abandon. However much one has, he appears to want more. In our society one can be neither too thin or too rich. We are hoarders of wealth in a world where poverty is rampant. We are a small part of the world's population, but we control most of its wealth.

Churches are as acquisitive as individuals. When one of the popes visited a poverty-stricken country in South America, a defiant bishop shook his fist at him as he passed in his protective "bubble," crying out, "Open the coffers of the Vatican and give to the poor." They call that liberation theology – the liberation of the poor and the marginalized. Not the most popular theology, one might add.

The pope is no more likely to dispose of the vast wealth of the Vatican in behalf of the poor than are the Protestant churches to disturb their wealth. Christianity in the western world, and particularly in America, is big business, involving billions. But how much goes to the poor in the third-world countries? The shame of the churches is that they spend their money -- lots of money -- mostly on themselves.

If you examine the budget of your own church, you will likely find it that way. We don’t want to give our money away. We want it for ourselves. We are hoarders of God’s bounties. It raises a disturbing question: Are we followers of Jesus or only admirers of Jesus?

However we view our finances, it is well to be aware, as Alexander Campbell put it, "We need but little here below, nor need that little long."

I appreciate the concern and prayers during my recent surgery and its aftermath. I am on the mend. While I still tire easily, I venture to meet my appointments in Tennessee, starting this weekend. I may have to sit for some of my teaching – and thus speak ex cathedra! Ouida will be along – strength enough for any man.

We are aware that this may be our "last hurrah" – our last major trip together, considering that we are 87 and 81. But it will be as the Lord wills. God’s tomorrow is the thing. We will be with three churches, along with visits to Milligan College and Emmanuel School of Religion, and we will be guests in at least six homes, old and new friends alike. I usually thrive in this sort of thing. It is who I am. Maybe it will be so this time. My doctor has me on steroids. I may end up dancing as well as lecturing!

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