Monetary compensation is the world's way of valuing people, so that time spent in the world will result in the accumulation of money. An individual's charitable giving must come out of that accumulated money and therefore possess a portion of the life that went into making the money. This begs the question: what is life's value? From a legal standpoint, we establish it based on earning power and total assets owned. But these factors make no sense at all to the heart. The heart understands that a life lost can never be repaid. There is no value to be put on someone's existence.
Now apply this truth to a charitable gift. The heart understands what goes into a charitable offering: the compassion that drove the need to give, the sacrifice made in the donation, and the impact of one life being used to touch the life of another person or people. These are all matters of the heart. The mind cannot completely grasp them, but the heart understands.
A coerced gift is not a charitable act. It is not a matter of the heart. Whether extorted through force of will, guilt, or even religious obligation, the donation is only a response to external influence. It is an appeasement of extortion rather than a willing act of the heart. No value can be achieved. The life is taken out of it.
But an act of charity, a donation or Mite as we like to call it, made from the heart, willingly and freely, carries a portion of the donor's life. It is a sacrifice made by one person for the benefit of another. It possesses the power to impact those in need and the ability to change the ones who sacrifice. Charity is of the heart, and it is a two-way transaction.