By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo
Once there were two kings who tried to outdo each other in hospitality. The first king invited his rival king and gave him a lavish meal and handed him a great number of gifts. Not to be outdone the other king offered and gave a more extravagant meal in his palace and gave more gifts than he received from the other king.
The first king responded with an even more extravagant meal and gifts and this went on back and forth trying to outgive each other until they ended up fighting.
Weird as it may appear but this is what happens when you lack the right intention when giving.
Famous French philosopher Jacques Derrida calls this the “Dilemma of Gifts”. He says, that if you come to think of it, there is no really freely given gift because the recipient of the gift has to respond in some way to the gift he or she receives.
It may just be a simple “thank you”, but nevertheless, you are duty bound to respond (unless you are not yet mature enough to appreciate a gift such as kids).
That’s why some people purportedly give gifts but in truth is actually a bribe because they know that the persons receiving it (usually government officials) are obliged to respond in some form of favor.
Rich people become generous especially during political elections to candidates because it is a form of investment for their business. Once their candidates win, they will be renumerated for their campaign donations in one way or another.
Only God can gratuitously give gifts to His creatures without strings attached or expecting something in return. Any response from His creatures for the gifts received would not add anything to His glory or happiness.
As the preface of the Mass of Thanksgiving says, “Our thanksgiving in itself is your gift, since our praises add nothing to our greatness but profit us for salvation”.
Even our sense of gratitude comes from God because He inspires us to give thanks. Everything we have comes from Him, therefore anything we give to God, He already has it. Every fiber of our being and every atom in this universe is His.
Only God can truly give for free without expecting anything in return. In Scriptures, God is a constant giver that gives us creation, gives a covenant, gives redemption and gives Himself to mankind in Christ.
The definition of love is to want what is truly good for the others without expecting anything in return. A mother who feeds, cares and sometimes disciplines her children, without expecting anything in return, but just doing it because it is what is good for them, is practicing true love.
When someone pretends to give a gift but really bribes another person, has no love at all to the recipient of the gift because there is a hidden agenda with the gift. In fact, the act of giving or bribing is really rewarding the giver himself.
