Shrouds have no pockets (1)

A man may give freely, and still his wealth will be increased; and another may keep back more than is right, but only comes to be in need. – Proverbs 11:24 (BBE).

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. – Ephesians 4:28

Reading through the Los Angeles Times of Saturday, March 8, 2008, a feature article caught my attention. Titled, ‘Passing along His Good Fortune,’ it featured Chuck Feeney, a billionaire who had, as at that time, reportedly given over $4 billion to charity. But that was not the striking thing about the story. Some people are known to give more. It was his style that I found fascinating. Chuck Feeny died in 2023 at the age of 92. He was a passionate giver, with only one caveat; don’t put his name on anything. A study of his lifestyle leaves you amazed. As a multi-billionaire, Feeney could afford to live like an emperor, yet he owned no property, lived his later years in a one-bedroom rented apartment and flew Economy class till he turned 75 (and thereafter started to upgrade using accumulated miles). Terribly understated, he dressed very simply and cheaply. Even though he owned a luxury chain store, he carried a plastic bag for a briefcase and wore $15 plastic watches!

Forbes Magazine once described him as, “The James Bond of philanthropy.” Having given his children modest endowments, Finney made a commitment to giving his enormous fortune away before he died. His motto was, “giving while living.” He was the founder of the Atlantic Philanthropies, an $8 billion foundation through which he channelled his giving and which he vehemently refused to name after himself. His overriding principle in giving was utmost anonymity.  One of the conditions attached to his foundation’s funding is that his identity must neither be disclosed nor publicly acknowledged, or the beneficiary could lose the funding altogether. Not for him any ‘Thank You’ dinners or plaques. Chuck came out of the closet in 2008 at the launch of his biography ‘The Billionaire who Wasn’t: How Chuck Feeney Made And Gave Away A Fortune’ in order to send a message to other stupendously wealthy people that true living is about giving. His instruction to the board of his foundation was to ensure that every dime of the $8 billion would be given away by 2016. Educational institutions have largely benefitted from his largesse. Cornell University alone has received $588 million, Stanford $60 million, among others.

Feeny made his money as the owner of Duty-Free Shoppers, selling cognac, perfumes and designer wear (even though he himself does not wear them). His advice for wealthy people who think giving is crazy: “There are no pockets in a shroud.” I neither know his religious inclination nor the various causes that attracted his funding and at this point, it is not important.

In the same vein, sometime in the same year 2008, I met a Christian couple at an international leadership training programme they sponsored. I was privileged to be one of the facilitators of the conference that had 49 participating leaders from 25 countries. This couple had paid every dime of the expenses of the conference (about $500,000!). They were also at the conference and attended the various sessions, exchanging pleasantries with participants and eating at the same table with them. Many of the participants had no idea who they were or what role they had played in sponsoring the course.

These two sobering experiences brought home so powerfully the aphorism that a great life is known not by how much it takes, but by how much it gives. It’s about being a good steward of God’s resources channelled through one’s life. People who really make a difference in society hardly need security details to shield them from that very society.  In my nation, Nigeria, when a governor sinks a borehole for a community, he calls the press to the dedication, even if the water stops flowing as soon as he turns his back. I sincerely look forward to that day when wealthy and privileged people will know that wealth and position are designed to give you an enhanced platform for contribution and not for impression or oppression. I eagerly anticipate the day when politicians will know that election rigging would be absolutely unnecessary if the quality of the service they provide to the populace becomes their platform of campaigning. Perhaps we all need to be reminded of the words of Feeney that shrouds have no pockets, a neat way of saying dead men can’t make or spend money. Ouch!

This week, go out and find a cause to contribute to instead of looking for someone to give you something. Help someone in GENUINE need (note the emphasis). Everyone has something to give. No money? How about time or even a word of advice or encouragement? You can’t help everybody, but can you help somebody?

It’s amazing how much we can do when we take off the consumer toga and take on the cloak of contribution. Never say that you have nothing to give. As I indicated earlier, everyone has something to give. Giving does not only have to do with money or cash. As a matter of fact, what you have the capacity to give outweighs what you lack.

The starting point in generosity is the decision to live your life as a gift from God to humanity. Of course, I recognise the fact that there are some people out there who think it is their right to scrounge on other people for their existence. I do not, as a matter of principle, oblige such people. When able-bodied people beg me for money, I usually want to see the need before I do anything; otherwise, one would be giving to finance a dependent lifestyle. True philanthropists don’t give to a person, they give to a cause. When they give to individuals, it’s usually because those individuals stand for something they can identify with. When you find something in humanity that resonates with the core of your being, giving is easy.

Mother Teresa didn’t pride herself on, and did not win the Nobel Peace Prize because of her earthly possessions. She derived fulfillment from giving herself to others. She lived and died in Kolkata, India, among the poorest of the poor in that society.  She died on September 5, 1997. She was buried eight days later in the same house where she lived for 47 years. About the same time, precisely on September 6, 1997, Princess Diana, member of the British Royal family, was buried. Yet, the burial of the royal princess with all the pomp that went with it, did not take the shine off the global celebration of Mother Teresa’s life and accomplishments for humanity, especially the most vulnerable population.

True love and giving are Siamese twins. You cannot be stingy and claim to love people at the same time. Even the love of God for humanity was demonstrated in the gift of His Son for humanity’s redemption.

To be continued.

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