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It's a term that is open to interpretation and perception really. It can mean one thing to one person and another to the other person. Or it can mean whatever you want it to mean in the circumstances.
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Faith, hope and charity.
And which of those was the greatest? To quote a well-known fellow whom I'm not particularly fond of myself, but who got this one right:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though 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. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
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Funny thing -- after seeing this maxim solemnly affirmed here a few times lately, I'd had it in mind to make it a thread. And now it's just popped up again. So here's the thread.
What does "charity begins at home" mean? That is the question.
If you google "charity begins at home means" you get the predictable results:
"Charity begins at home means that family members are more important than anyone else, and should be the focus of a person's efforts"
“Charity begins at home means that before you give to others, to strangers, you should first take care of your own family"
"Charity begins at home means you take care of your family and loved ones before you go out to help strangers."
"Charity Begins at Home means that you support your home environment first rather than that further afield. i.e. Say your local hospital required funding for ..."
Well, that's certainly how people in threads hereabouts are using the expression.
I've never thought that was what it meant at all, though. I've always thought it meants something along the lines of these other results in my google list.
"Charity begins at home means that one should set an example by being more liberal in offering charity by his initiative from his own resources."
It begins at home - it begins with *you*, doing your part --
"The phrase 'charity begins at home' means that it begins in your mind outward."
Like this:
"The adage that “Charity begins at home” means that as a parent you're the chief executor of good values. Train your children with the love, morality and ..."
“charity begins at home means building a charitable culture within your own family and within your community."
If you happen to be religious:
"Charity begins at home means this: that there is no charity in the man who does not first pervade his own home with the love of God and his neighbor; ..."
And this comment on one website mentions the rather narrower view of the idea put in what I would call plain language:
"I feel it is also important that all texts are understood outside the particular religion which 'owns' them. The arguments around interpretation will continue - I know Christians who think 'Charity begins at home' means you should look after only your own nearest and dearest - the rest of the world can go hang."
Comments from members of a different religious/cultural group on another site:
"It does not mean word to word. Charity begins at home means first you start giving charity."
"Yes, but not in the form of pocket money from parents. When they give alms to beggars through your hands as a child."
From a UK discussion board:
"People who say 'Charity begins at home' either don't want to give to charity, or in particular don't want to give to any charities who work in other countries. Saying 'Charity begins at home' doesn't actually mean anything and is just an excuse. ...
Why use excuses? If you don't want to donate to a charity, just don't do it. No need for excuses, if you're in the right about it."
Anybody remember Sunday school, or confirmation classes, or wherever we learned our theology?
I do. We learned that there are three kinds of love, as expressed in the Latin words (okay, I had to google to remember the third) eros, agape and caritas. (There are variations on this theme, and we won't go into the faith vs. faith+works debate.)
CARITAS
is the one we are talking about here. Altruistic love. The word that gives us ours:
CHARITY
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