YOM KIPPUR, or the Day of Atonement,
falls on the 10th day of Tishri. This year, the sacred day begins
on the evening of Oct 12. It signals the release of the human
being from the past. On this day both the individual and community
will receive pardon regardless of the past mistakes or errors.
Prayer, fasting and charity are the three essential means that
help a person to understand the arrival of this state of atonement.
The prayers emphasise on the confession of sins and supplication
for forgiveness. Both individual and communal prayers are an acknowledgement
of man's fallen state and helplessness.
Fasting commences from sunset until nightfall the next day and
this discipline links the acknowledgement to a spiritual awakening
that produces sincere repentance. This can be seen in the selected
readings from the books of Isaiah and Jonah that stress the importance
of rituals performed (Leviticus 16; Numbers 19:7-11) to be accompanied
by a spirit of devotion and penitence without which the message
of divine forgiveness for genuine repentance would be meaningless.
This spiritual awakening is demonstrated through charity that
requires one to give money or food to the poor. On the day before
Yom Kippur, collection boxes (tzedaka) are located in every Jewish
community and a ceremony (kapparah or kapaort) takes place in
which, according to ancient custom, a chicken or hen is waved
over one's head. Either the animal or its equivalent monetary
value will be given to the poor. Today, most communities prefer
to donate money to charity following the ceremony.
Both spiritual and exterior disciplines must be understood in
the context of the relationship between God and man. The spirit
of Yom Kippur for us is the Love of God. This love is channelled
through charitable acts whose purpose is, besides demonstrating
love and kindness for fellow men, to bring a transformation of
the giver at the internal and external levels.
An internal transformation involves the development of a loving
relationship between the giver's soul and God in which the giver
experiences the redemptive force of divine love. The communication,
spiritual awakening and exterior discipline transform the human
life by creating a deeper encounter of God and the unfathomable
riches of His Kingdom.
Thomas Merton rightly maintained that "in the economy of
divine charity, we have only as much as we give. But we are called
upon to give as much as we have, and more: as much as we are.
So the measure of our love is theoretically without limit"
(No Man is an Island, 164).
Charity enables us to seek to love God in other men, and in doing
so leads us to grow in intimate knowledge of God and enlarge our
capacity to love. This results in an increasing desire to express
our love for fellow men through kindness, mercy, justice and forbearance.
An external transformation involves our Christian attitude to
charity. Do we treat charity as an act? Do we demonstrate our
love of God in the name of "society", "humanity"
or "common good"?
These terms are useful in clarifying the understanding of our
relations with one another. However, this knowledge does not prevent
us from seeing others as obstacles to our own happiness. Charity
is not a matter of knowledge or obligation. Both mind and will
must work together to seek the good of others. The readiness to
show kindness, mercy and forgiveness is the measure of our hopes.
OUR charity does not require us to ignore the faults of others,
but rather to forgive, while we remain clear-sighted to the reality
of evil. To those we have forgiven, our message is clear - we
love God in you, we will share the burden of your guilt, and we
become your brother and sister in Christ.
Jesus draws us to Himself through His death
on the Cross. He is the focus of all charity and His love unites
both the giver and recipient. Scripture declares the Day of Atonement
as an everlasting statute (Leviticus 16:29-34) and this commandment
requires our remembrance of God's saving act in history. As we
receive divine mercy, we would respond by seeking God in others
through charity.
This Christian approach to charity clarifies the reasons for our
participation in charitable works. These are not provided only
for the sake of reliving the poor, giving another chance to the
needy or educating us the importance of social ills. Instead,
Christian charity demands us as forgiven sinner and community
to address these questions.
Who should take the lead in charity? Who should share the burden
with those seeking another chance to live a normal life? Should
our community leave the acceptance of the forgiven to the individual
member? Our answers to all these questions would certainly add
a new dimension to the familiar lyrics of "put the blame
on me if I don't see a yellow ribbon round the oak tree".
Chan Yew Ming, a lecturer at Trinity Theological College, worships at Fairfield Preaching Point in Woodlands.
QUOTE:
JESUS THE FOCUS OF ALL CHARITY
'Jesus draws us to Himself through His death on the Cross. He is the focus of all charity and His love unites both the giver and recipient. Scripture declares the Day of Atonement as an everlasting statute (Leviticus 16:29-34) and this commandment requires our remembrance of God's saving act in history. As we receive divine mercy, we would respond by seeking God in others through charity.'