Why you should give a goat this Christmas

I think David Sanderson would see himself as a supporter of those who are poor in our world, but his article "Why you shouldn't give a goat this Christmas" adds confusion rather than support to their case.

The goat of course is the quintessential Christmas gift from an Australian NGO. Your donation goes to a project which includes goats and your friend receives a card letting then know of you very practical love for them and for someone far away.

Firstly, David points out some of the things that can go wrong with aid and assumes that the goat is a victim of these. There have been some bad mistakes over the years, But the NGO community puts a high value on learning from them. If the NGO behind the goat is a member of ACFID, they will be carefully examining the goat project to make sure that locals get good value out of it. The goat, for example, would be sourced as close as possible to its new owner. This will stimulate the local economy adding to the benefit the recipient, who will probably be required to return a kid to the program within two years, kept accountable and encouraged to see the wider picture of positive change for everyone.

Secondly, David conflates at least three types of aid: bilateral - from government to government, private aid - from NGO to NGO, and emergency aid, which is delivered response to a crisis.

It is bilateral aid which has the worst reputation for importing goods rather than stimulating local markets. Plenty of Chinese product is going into African infrastructure right now, and Australia has also insisted use of Australian goods and services. Governments like to stimulate their own economies. NGO's on the other hand really need to justify importing goods, and there are times when this is necessary, for example, if the technology is just not be available locally, or in an emergency, where some essential supplies may have been wiped out.

As David says cash handouts are increasingly being used as an efficient form of emergency aid. The goat, however will be part of a longer term community development project which is aiming to change the opportunities of a community.

There are good reasons to buy a goat this Christmas. If it is from an ACFID member NGO you can be assured that their operation meets a high standard. The goat money will get there. The first thing it will do is stimulate a struggling local economy with demand for the essentials of life, Then the goat will arrive at someone's humble door, communicating a message of solidarity. The wealthy people across the sea do care. Finally, two years down the track a family will have a new income stream which will help them send their kids to school and put food on the table where there was none. That's a lot more like Christmas than another gingerbread house for Aunty Flo!

Celebrating the King of the Universe

What would celebrating a universal King that was born in a manger look like? We are nervous defaulting to familiar practices of our culture, decorations, feasting, and gift giving. We know how these have been corrupted. And we are are nervous doing something special, because the subjects of the universal King know that honouring Him can only be a full-time and lifetime pursuit.

The Bible nevertheless makes a big place for celebration and they are celebrations that use the cultural forms of their time and place. Celebration is central for the servants of the King. It re-cements critical events and their significance into our psyche. In that way it helps us be better subjects of the King throughout the year.

So what would celebrating the coming of the universal King to a manger look like? It would have to use the forms of our culture, and it would tell the story of the King's great deeds - how he entered human time and space humbly and purposefully - to bring all things back to the rightful King. And it would lift up the lowly (Lk 1:52).

Essential to the reign of the King is the righting of human imbalances. Those who are left out are to be included (Lk 2:29-32). Those who are poor find new resources (Lk 1:53). These values challenge our culture. Over all our celebration they pleas restraint from the wastefulness and self-indulgence and we are so accustomed to. Most of all they challenge our practice of gift giving.

It is in giving gifts that we most easily forget the poor (Gal 3:10). It is too easy to give generously to those we know will give generously to us (Lk 6:34). This is not really generosity at all! Living in a world where material things are scarce for so many we really need to direct our giving to those with little first of all, not just at Christmas.

So here are my tips for a holy but Australian Christmas.

Decorations
1. Have them! But focus on telling the story of the King - mangers, stars, magi. Drop the man in the red suit completely. The King is not honored by praise for impostors.
2. Have them but moderate your consumption. Put a limit on how many you will buy or how many you will have. Don't compete with the guy across the road on volume or your message will lose its credibility.

Feasting
1. Do it! Have food that you enjoy and don't usually have. If there is nothing in that category you have been indulgent all year round - try something simple! Put a limit on you consumption. Buy only what you can eat in one day.
2. Share it! Seek out people who are alone on Christmas day and invite them to your celebration.

Gift-giving
1. Make giving to the poor the major focus of you giving. Local and international mission agencies will give you plenty of options. For every gift you give your family, give a gift of equal value to those of lowly estate.
2. Limit your giving. Set a dollar limit together for your extended family. For the over 18's, put the names in a hat and each just buy a gift for one family member. Publish a list of what you would like so the gift isn't wasted.