During yesterday’s visit to London’s Central Synagogue, we had a meeting with Rabbi Marcus to discuss a few of the things that our team saw during the Shabbat service. One of the Faiths Act Fellows asked the rabbi what manner of charitable activities the synagogue engaged in. Rabbi Marcus paused and inhaled with great gravitas before saying, “Any religious community that did not engage in charitable work would find it very hard to justify its existence.”
He went on to describe the activities that the synagogue was involved in, including helping poor communities in Belarus and sponsoring medical supplies at a hospital in South Africa. In reflecting on what the rabbi said, I found a very strong justification for the work of the Faiths Act Fellowship.
If we look at the Abrahamic traditions’ founding “stories” or at least eras, we see that social justice and charity were pretty huge components. Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt and brought them to a place of safety. Jesus and the Apostles went around healing the sick and feeding the hungry. Muhammad and his followers basically built a giant social welfare system in Medina and then Mecca. For all three traditions, helping those in need was a sine qua non of their existence. Remove the charity, and what is left? It brings to mind a (I think) poignant quote from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And tho’ I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
I know what you’re thinking – you’ve heard that at weddings and it’s “love” not “charity”. You’re wrong – the Latin is “caritas”. You do the rest.
That’s the shared value of service and charity present in all religions. That’s what the Faiths Act Fellowship is about.
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