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Leaning Into a Generosity of Spirit AISHA HAUSER, MSW, CRE-ML Lead Ministry Team, Church of the Larger Fellowship My childhood consisted of navigating what it meant to grow up Egyptian in America. My mother spoke only in Arabic, and she very much passed on the traditions of our culture to my sister and me. She cooked delicious Egyptian meals, told us stories from her childhood and she taught us the ways to be a good Muslim, in an effort to raise us as devout as she was. One of the lessons that I embody from my childhood is that of generosity. Not only of money, but also of spirit. The Muslim faith mandates generosity and giving to those who have less. While I have never been a devout Muslim the way my mother still is, I remember that she donated money every year to help feed poor Muslims during the Eid (the feast marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan). She did this even when we were on public assistance. One year, I let her know that I thought we didn’t have enough to give to others, but she responded that since the government was helping us, we were mandated to help others. My mother and I have had our share of disagreements and challenges over the years, but her spirit of generosity
is one lesson that I have held dear and been grateful for, and that I try to replicate. In my personal life, this is something that I have easily embraced. This is not something that is as prevalent in modern U.S. society. It has been more than a little disheartening to witness the dialogue about student debt forgiveness and universal basic income. I have heard people lament that they had to pay off their debt, so why should anyone else be “let off the hook.” When I bring up universal basic income people immediately dismiss it as unrealistic and one person asked me what the incentive would be to work. I responded by asking what the incentive is now. Is it death? Is that really the society we want to maintain? Don’t we want to support people not only living, but thriving and experiencing joy and creativity in ways that nourish our spirits? These are just two examples of the ways I experience a lack of generosity of spirit in the United States. We find ways to make people “earn a living.” Instead of affirming the value and inherent worth of every person by offering a universal basic income, universal healthcare and free college education (thereby preventing student debt to begin with), this country asserts a scarcity mentality and creates barriers for thriving. Leaning into Generosity cont. on page 5
Vol. LXXVIII, No 6
2024
“That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” simone de beauvoir
in this issue LEANING INTO A GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT Aisha Hauser GENEROSITY Multiple authors BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE GENEROUS Frances Koziar LETTING GO Jacob LORI’S FAREWELL MESSAGE Lori Stone
connect. deepen. act.