Who to Serve First
The inspiring girls at Biblical Womanhood have been going at it lately about whether charity abroad is misanthropy at home, especially for devoted stay-at- home moms. As often happens, it's been decided before:"All persons are to be loved equally. But since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special regard to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you. For, suppose that you had a great deal of some commodity, and felt bound to give it away to somebody who had none, and that it could not be given to more than one person; if two persons presented themselves, neither of whom had either from need or relationship a greater claim upon you than the other, you could do nothing fairer than choose by lot to which you would give what could not be given to both. Just so among humanity: since you cannot consult for the good of them all, you must take the matter as decided for you by a sort of providential lot, according as each one happens, for the time being, to be more closely connected with you."
- St. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana I.28.
posted by MM at 11:12 AM
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