Charity Detox

The subtitle of Toxic Charity is “How churches and charities hurt those they help” AND “(And How to Reverse It). There is another entire book on solutions. Some of those better ways are introduced in Toxic Charity and I will share a few. But first:

“Lupton says hard things that need to be said…if we accept rather than resist his critique, the poor and non-poor will both be better off.” Christianity Today

“Giving is no simple matter, not if giving is to be ultimately redemptive. And there are no cookie cutter formulas for getting it right.”

“It is delicate work, I have found, establishing authentic parity between people of unequal power. But relationships built on reciprocal exchange (what I call holistic compassion) make this possible.”

Mercy combined with justice creates:

• immediate care with a future plan
• emergency relief and responsible development
• short-term intervention and long-term involvement
• heart responses and engaged minds

“For  some reason healthy people with hearts full of compassion forget fundamentals when it comes to building relationships with those they attempt to serve. Forging ahead to meet a need, we often ignore the basics: mutuality, reciprocity, accountability. In doing so, relationships turn toxic.”

“Trust is the foundation of all human relationships.” “Recipients must become dispensers, authors of the rules, builders of community.”