Generosity

It was yet another day in Delhi. The morning routine at 6:15 AM was to switch on the water pumps, to pull in water to the tank below and then push it up to the tank on the rooftop, during the one hour the water was available. 

To make life easier, most houses have an "alarm indicator" which signals when the tanks are full. The best way to do this is to first fill the top tank by pumping up the water and then fill the lower tank by pulling in water, a cycle that repeats every day.

But today, something was amiss. From the moment I switched on both pumps (I did it together), the indicator of the tank below was constantly making sounds – like a broken record: "The tank is full, please switch off the motor." (Yes, we have talking indicators – like the railway station announcements).

Like Moses who stepped aside to see why the bush was not burning down, I decided to see what the issue was. It was a very encouraging scene. The water was coming under so much pressure that even when the pump was off, water was still gushing in. I wondered how, in Delhi, this could happen. Then I realized, I was an early bird! Other pumps were not on, they were not draining off the pressure, I was early, and I was getting the water with its full pressure!

In my morning reflections, I realized this is a picture of my life too. Most days, my tanks are not as full or water gushing in with force because of three reasons. One – I have allowed many other pumps around to drain off the inflow. The pumps of desires, doubts, doings, and distressing relationships. And so, I hardly have water to pump out for others. Two – the inflow tap is off. I feel I have everything I need, and if I feel a bit empty, I open the tap and fill it up again, but never pour it out. It is about me, mine, and myself. Three – even if I give out, it is very calculated and limited because I want to keep my tank always full for a day when there may not be water!

But the pumps and tank taught me a truth, it is in pushing it out that I receive more! Like what Francis of Assisi said, “For it is in giving that we receive.”

There are now experiments being done on generosity. A mystery experiment conducted by TED Talks, with early findings reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in late 2022. Chris Anderson, the founder of TED Talks, says, "One of the most startling findings from the mystery experiment was that an anonymous couple’s donation had effectively created a more than 200x multiple of the amount of happiness that their $2 million could ever have given them personally. The paper has been cited as one of the most powerful arguments yet for the rich to be generous with their wealth." 

He goes on to say in his book, “Because our very characters are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves. What we hear shapes what we believe. And what we believe shapes who we are." (from "Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading" by Chris Anderson).

But then, I do not have much to give. I have a very small tank which is hardly full, and I need that for a waterless day. These are for the wealthy and the tank-overflowing people?

Mackenzie Scott, a very wealthy philanthropist, writes in her blog, “It was the local dentist who offered me free dental work when he saw me securing a broken tooth with denture glue in college. It was the college roommate who found me crying and acted on her urge to loan me a thousand dollars to keep me from having to drop out sophomore year. And after she saw the difference she made in my life, what was she inspired to do, twenty years later? Start a company that offers loans to low-income students without a co-signer. And how quickly did I jump at the opportunity to support her dream of supporting students like she once supported me? And to whom will each of the thousands of students thriving on those gratitude-powered student loans go on to give? None of us has any idea. Each unique expression of generosity will have value far beyond what we can imagine or live to see.” https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/no-dollar-signs-this-time-ec7ab2a87261

But much before all these experts came up with these great ideas, it was already there in the Good Book.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” (Luke 6)

I suppose I should not have waited to fill my tank to pour it out!