On charity

The discussion at Orthodorks went about where AI suspected it would. Good.

Please for give me if I stumble through this, I'm still unsure of my footing.
To me our obligation as Christians is spelled out in a few key places:

Luke 10 25-37, Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said unto him, "What is written in the law? How readest thou?"
27 And he answering said, "`Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.'"
28 And He said unto him, "Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 And Jesus answering said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was. And when he saw him he had compassion on him, 34 nd went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and said unto him, `Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.'
36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?"
37And he said, "He that showed mercy on him." Then said Jesus unto him, "Go and do thou likewise."

Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, `Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; 36 naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'
37 Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink? 38 When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee? 39 Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'

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Pretty clear stuff there: love your neighbor, your neighbor includes your enemies and you should show them mercy, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. What else? Hold demonstrations to protest how immigrants are treated? No, show them mercy, if they are in need give them succor. Not as a class, as individuals. I'm coming to think this is one facet of Christianity should be personal and individual. Give succor, show mercy, simply love on a personal scale.

Should we disengage from any organized charity? No, not necessarily. But we shouldn't allow that to be the only way we engage with the least of our brethren. Likewise, we don't need to go out of our way to find people to love. We need only live our life in a God-pleasing way, treating those we encounter with the Love of God flowing from us.

St. Theophan the Recluse said as much in a letter. His spiritual child was asking what charity fellowships she should join, should she be doing more. The Saint said, no, don't go looking for charity, just please God in all that you do. Please God by doing is at hand in a Godly manner.

I am not done with this topic.