Then said a rich man, "speak to us of giving."
and he answered:
you give but little when you give of your possessions.
it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
for what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you5
may need them tomorrow?
and tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims
to the holy city?
and what is fear of need but need itself?
is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable? there are those who give little of the much which
they have-and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
and there are those who have little and give it all. 10
these are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty
there are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
and there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
and there are those who give and know not pain in giving, or do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
they give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragraitce into space.15
through the hands of such as these god speaks, and from behind their eyes he smiles upon the earth
es
what is the best summary of the prophet's perspective on giving?