Chronicle of Philanthropy · https://www.philanthropy.com/solutions/giving-usa-reports-a-record-high-but-heres-what-it-misses/
Households gave more than ever in a year they could least afford it, while a billionaire called real generosity very hard.
In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity
2 Corinthians 8:2
On June 24, Giving USA reported that Americans gave a record $617 billion to charity in 2025. One story: a milestone, a civilization that remains capable of generosity. Another story: read the fine print. Individual giving grew only 1.4 percent in real terms, in a year when groceries and utilities kept climbing. Ordinary households did not give more because they had more.
One story: the record was propelled by bequests and billion-dollar donors. That giving is real, and it moved the number. Another story: it flows from surplus, and surplus is the easy case.
Around the same week, Elon Musk described generosity as "very hard," drawing a line between giving that buys "the appearance of goodness" and giving for "the reality of goodness." A sharp distinction. Worth keeping.
It just lands differently depending on which story you are living.
Paul wrote about Macedonian congregations who were under real affliction and gave beyond what they could afford, then asked to give more. He does not praise the size of the gift. He praises what the gift cost. The appearance of goodness is what abundance can afford. The reality of it shows up in the household running the numbers on rent and giving anyway.
The record belonged to everyone. The weight of it belonged to some more than others.