15 Proverbs about Charity and Giving
With my last post dealing with the somber theme of cancer (https://blog.give.asia/raise-a-glass-to-our-cancer-heroes-af3013d09173) I feel the need for a little light relief. And so here are my top 15 proverbs, from around the globe, on the theme of charity.
Who knows their origin? Who can imagine the first mouth from which they were uttered? But it was felt that each and every one was important enough to remember, to pass on and write down for posterity. It would appear that it matters not from which country, tribe or genealogy you hail; these proverbs illustrate that all around the world and all through history many differing cultures have seen the importance of and valued the charitable act.
What do you think — do they still hold true today?
1. Charity begins at home, but shouldn’t end there: Scottish
2. Charity sees the need, not the cause: German
3. Go to friends for advice, to strangers for charity and to relatives for nothing: Spanish
4. May your charity increase as much as your wealth: Eskimo
5. The charitable give out the door, whilst God puts back through the window: Jewish
6. Send your charity abroad wrapped in blankets: English
7. Charity is not a bone you throw to a dog, but a bone you share with a dog: Chinese
8. They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing: Hindu
9. If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart: Arabian
10. What you give you get, ten times over: Yoruba
11. Charity supports both the giver and the receiver: Swedish
12. If you have, give; if you need, seek: Malawian
13. Hands that give also receive: Ecuadorian
14. Give good and get good: Estonian
15. Continually give, continually gain: Chinese
So what is a proverb? And why are they still repeated?
I remember when I was young rolling my eyes as older relatives placated me or thought they were being amusing by trotting out the old sayings… “an apple a day”… “a bird in the hand”…”don’t run before you can walk”…
And yet, as I get older they trip off my own tongue. They are comforting, solid, reassuring and, dare I say it, not trite at all. A proverb expresses a truth, based on common sense and the accumulated practical experience of humankind. A proverb is a pithy reminder to us about how to live life and avoid its pitfalls.
And the proverbs about charity? Well, my guess is that they were remembered, recorded and passed down to remind us how we should behave. Not only for our own benefit, but for the good of all!
Lucy-Ann Dale
