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Good Morning According to a filing with America’s financial regulator that has just come to light, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has handed a six billion dollar giveaway in shares to charities. Musk, who owes his fortune to the booming electric car industry, has been remarkably generous. But his recent gift doesn’t match Bill Gates and his former wife Melinda. They pledged more than half of the $28 billion that the 50 biggest American donors handed over to charities last year. America uses its tax regime to encourage the rich to give. Philanthropy, though, is nothing new. The word itself comes from the Greek adjective philanthropon, used to describe someone kind and gentle. And in faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam almsgiving to help those less fortunate than yourself is an intrinsic part of religious practice. Now, we’re seeing two forms of philanthropy at work. There’s the Elon Musk kind – what some people call effective altruism. Giving on such a huge scale can certainly change people’s lives. Think of how Bill Gates has donated huge sums to help find a malaria vaccine. Market forces can be harnessed to combat hunger, disease or lack of schooling. And there’s the other kind – that comes from the heart and engages people in offering their time, their care, and money they might not so easily afford as do billionaires. Of course, the same person can do both. I know one incredibly successful businessman who has used his money to create a foundation to help young people, and he also volunteers his time at a homeless shelter. But it seems to me that it is this man’s work in the shelter, rather than his money, that matches philanthropy’s true meaning, linked to kindness and gentleness. In Christian thinking, the important thing is caritas, a particular kind of love that goes beyond just giving millions when you have billions, getting buildings you paid for named after you and plaques announcing your generosity. It is about a change of heart, a recognition of another’s worth as a person. Don’t just toss a few coins to someone in need, Pope Francis once said, look them in the eye, touch their hand, and try seeing the world from their perspective. I saw someone do just that the other day. She not only gave a homeless girl sitting in the street some money, but she knelt down beside her for a chat. And when Jesus praised the poor widow giving her mite – her tiny amount of money – when the rich easily handed over their surplus wealth, it was because it was an act of giving, not just of cash, but one that was heart-felt, a gift of herself.