Here's something to think about...

Here is a little something written by someone I know who wants to remain anonymous. Enjoy.

Some things should go without saying.

THE YELLOWDART

Nothing in America goes without saying. Just the fact that our language contains the expression "goes without saying" is an indicator that we don't usually let things pass without comment. News radio and television talk over events and non-events until every facet, obvious or absurd, has been explored more than once.
A recent event which fully supports this observation is the earthquake and tsunami tragedy in South Asia. Newscasters constantly keep us informed of the ascending death toll as well as the extremely self-conscious outflow of charity rightly inspired by the event.
Countries and people, moved by images and stories of disaster, began immediately to pledge financial assistance to the relief effort. Our government's pledge of $350 million appeared huge until it was one-upped by Japan's $500 million, Germany's $674 million, and Australia's $810 million. Uneasiness entered the American consciousness as we realized we were slipping behind on the world donor list.
That's the first red flag for us Christians. The successive increase in pledges from all these countries seems to be motivated by a desire to appear more generous than others. Some have even suggested that giving our money will buy us an advantage in the hearts of those who hate us.
If governments are under the same rules as individuals (admittedly a big "if" in some areas), then competitive or conciliating motives directly contradict the idea that "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion" (II Cor. 9:7). Under this principle, we would give the same whether these factors were in place or not.
Even if this principle does not apply to countries, the self-congratulating charity glut created by individuals is enough to raise an eyebrow. Our news sources flooded us with reports that one person gave so much while another did not give enough, especially considering the millions he could have given. Kids holding bake sales were lauded and rich businessmen criticized because everyone heard about their contributions.
Jesus had a bucket of cold water for this whole scene: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret" (Matt. 6:3-4). His strong terms indicate that this is no slovenly secrecy; as in every good spy organization, it is vital that we do everything we can to conceal our good deeds. We even end up praying in closets and masking our hunger on this system.
What a far cry from the back-patting we've grown accustomed to dishing out! Our churches applaud themselves and each other for how well their ministries are doing. In our accountability groups we cannot wait to share our selfless acts in as discreet a manner as we can manage. After all, what can possibly be wrong with giving credit where credit is due?
Jesus always had a way of getting to the heart of the matter. He knew that the two right motivations for giving, genuine compassion and obedience to God, were served by secrecy. Simultaneously, secrecy would cut through all the other complicated motivations that can get twisted around otherwise well-meaning hearts.
Jesus was consistent with his own teaching, repeatedly telling those he healed to keep his involvement a secret. He created no fanfare for himself until he made the bold move of riding into Jerusalem on a colt. Even then, the praise which bathed him was a spontaneous gift from an appreciative audience, not an orchestrated rally of supporters like the ones we saw so often during the election year.
After the triumphal entry, we see Jesus' resolution for active secrecy in addition to passive secrecy. Asked to give the source of authority for his deeds, he evaded the question rather than smugly retorting, "I'm God," or adopting false humility. He let his qualifications go without saying, having already given sufficient evidence of who he was in his conduct. After seeing his miracles, hearing his teachings, and witnessing his magnificent entrance, his interrogators already knew the truth.
Really, Jesus' teachings and example are not far from common sense. No one likes to hear people talking about the great things they've done; we like even less to be subjected to the manipulative wrangling we all use on occasion to extort praise for our good deeds. The people we most admire actually force us to spy in order to find out what they're up to.
Let's give it a try. For one week, let's take Jesus literally. Let's do our giving, praying, and fasting as if we would be tortured if anyone found out. Let's hold our tongues and let our attitudes and behavior speak for us. After it's over, we'll have a discussion group to compare notes on how we did. Or, we could just let it go without saying.