Luke 21:1-4 CEB: “Looking up, Jesus saw rich people throwing their gifts into the collection box for the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow throw in two small copper coins worth a penny. He said, ‘I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than them all. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had to live on.’”

2 Kings 4:3-5 CEB: “[Elisha] said, ‘Go out and borrow containers from all your neighbors. Get as many empty containers as possible. Then go in and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all those containers. Set each one aside when it’s full.’ She left Elisha and closed the door behind her and her sons. They brought her containers as she kept on pouring.”

The spiritual gift of giving is a generous gift of recognizing and responding to the needs of individuals and communities that you engage with. Giving is often thought of in terms of monetary donation, but the act of giving, and its value, stretches far beyond how much money you can give. To give of yourself is to encounter another person or your community’s need and to respond in whatever way is most accessible and fitting for the situation. From your time to your expertise to your presence to tangible goods or money, there are endless things you might give to provide for the needs that you encounter around you.

At its core, giving is loving-kindness in action. Those with this gift are attuned to the explicit and implicit needs of those around them and pay special attention to what is being asked for, what is most compassionate and what would honor those in need. Communities and individuals are strengthened and find compassionate and sustaining love in the actions of those with this gift. Those with this gift are often willing to engage in the mundane and unsung parts of community life because they intuit the void that will be left after the fun, interesting or desirable roles are taken. For those with this gift, meeting the functional needs that move us toward God’s love is central to their decision-making in how they show up for community.

Some ways in which the gift of giving might show up in your spiritual and communal life:

• Volunteering for setup and takedown at community meals.
• Supporting your congregation’s feeding ministry or a local food pantry as a monthly sustaining partner.
• Donating to ELCA World Hunger or raising awareness of it in your congregation and synod.
• Meeting with an ELCA regional gift planner to discuss leaving a legacy gift to the church in your will.

Looking for more opportunities? We encourage you to reach out to your local synod. Connect, collaborate and co-create with peers through the ELCA Leadership Network.