Interfaith Generosity

The holy month of Ramadan will begin this year on June 18th, and as it commences Muslims around the world will fast, one of the five pillars of Islam. This is no small challenge and I have written before about the level of commitment required to fast through these thirty days as a spiritual discipline.

Giving is another of the five pillars and again this year Toronto adjunct law professor Ziyaad Mia is inviting Muslims and all people of good will to take up the Give 30 challenge.

I founded Give 30 (GIVE30.ca) in 2012 on the spark of an idea I had almost 15 years ago. The "Eureka" moment came when I was putting away my coffee cup at work one Ramadan, joking with a colleague that fasting is so great, it saves money.    

Ramadan does save people money because they aren't eating during the day.  Since a key part of Ramadan is learning about hunger and having empathy for (and helping) those in need, it seemed a perfect way to raise money to fight hunger.  Importantly, because that spirit of Ramadan is pretty much universal I wanted the initiative to be open to everyone regardless of faith or background.  

 The idea is simple:

If you are fasting contribute the money you save from not eating during the day for the month.  
If you are not fasting brown bag your lunch to save money and/or put a value on your coffee and snacks for 30 days so you can make a contribution.  

You'll be amazed at the impact a small behavioural change can have when everyone joins in.  

 

 

I think this is an excellent initiative and one which Christians can certainly understand. When I heard Ziyaad Mia interviewed back in 2012 he pointed out that Christians have been very involved in charitable causes for a long time and urged Muslims to take up the challenge. The reality is that the number of Christians in this country is diminishing rapidly and it is important that we understand generosity as interfaith and open to the support of all who have a desire to address issues of poverty and inequality. Justice is central to our Christian faith but not exclusive to it.

 

Perhaps some of us will contribute through Give 30 as a sign of solidarity with the Muslims who will both fast and give during Ramadan.

 

Thoughts?