During Advent Season all kinds of people and organisations come up to us and ask for charity donations. There are charity galas on TV, and in our mail we often find letters from various charity organisations that ask for donation. All this makes much sense. Scientists have carefully observed that during Christmas Season people are much more will to donate than the year round.

It may have something to do with the fact that December is the last month of the year, and quite some big firms now know how much money the possibly have got left over and how much they should donate for charity in order to to have to pay too much tax.

But private people, too tend to spend and donate more money in December. Some people get an extra salary in December and thus have more money available, and in order to look smart and have a good conscience they donate some money. After all the “poor orphans” deserve a nice Christmas as well, and then we are honourable people and have given our contribution. But aren't the “poor orphans” in summer hungry as well, and don't they need any clothing then?

Where is the logical point in this? What is so special in December that some people just can't wait for this month to come? Why do they change their general attitude in December?

Here is a passage from the Bible that shows what Jesus thinks of donations:

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21, 1 – 4 NIV)