Generosity You Can’t Learn from a “How-To” Book
I am not one to read books for pleasure.
Although I was an English Lit major, I find myself almost exclusively reading non-fiction. How to Stop Church Decline, How to Get Time Under Control, How to be More Spiritual in 3 Easy Steps, How to Raise a Ton of Money and Not be Embarrassed, and finally – and most importantly – How to Dress Like a Rock Star (my gold lame dress and white platform boots are awesome).
I’m blaming it on the old Protestant Work Ethic. If you’re not learning something concrete – then you’re wasting your time. Tsk, tsk.
I forgot that one of the best things about fiction is that you can learn about people and places you might never run into in real life. One of the rare pieces of fiction I read last year was Percival Everett’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, James. It’s a retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn – but from the perspective of the slave, James. If you haven’t read it, you must. It’ll shake your perspective, just like a good book should.
Last week, I finished reading another piece of fiction (my first of this year).
Theo of Golden is Allen Levi’s first (and so far, only) novel. Written in late 2023, Levi self-published his book and sold about 3,000 copies. The next year, through word of mouth, he sold 25,000 copies. By that time, he was sure sales would naturally turn downward. Instead, the exact opposite happened. He started selling nearly 1,000 copies a day. Levi’s book recently reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for Combined Print and E-Book Fiction.
Theo of Golden has everything to do with generosity, kindness, and believing that you can change your corner of the world.
In short, it's about an old man, Theo, who moves to the small town of Golden somewhere in the South. He becomes enamored with 92 pencil portraits that hang in a local coffee shop. Theo decides that he wants to gift the drawings to the people who are their “rightful owners.”
The rest of the book chronicles Theo’s interactions with many of these characters. He is a model of generosity: generosity of his financial resources, of his time, of his heart. Theo transforms the people who come into his orbit.
He is also a person of faith. Never hitting anyone over the head with his beliefs, Theo is nevertheless unafraid to quote the occasional Psalm or act as a confidant to someone who needs to share confession. Everything he does is gentle, loving, and focused on others.
It’s a bit of a mix of (and don’t hold this against it) Forrest Gump and It’s a Wonderful Life – in the very best sense. Surely, we could all use some kindness and thoughtfulness in our lives. Lord knows we need it.
Reading and discussing this book with a small group at church, or even with your Generosity/Stewardship Team, might have you thinking about generosity in a new way. It could have you asking:
How can we promote small acts of kindness?
How can we encourage others to do the Next Big Thing?
What does it mean for people in our congregation to “be seen”?
What act of kindness might God be calling me to do anonymously that will fill my soul?
Books of fiction, like Theo of Golden, can teach us in ways that non-fiction “how-to” books never can. Those books certainly have their place. But for a book that can touch your heart and shift your outlook, Theo of Golden is your next read.
###Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. She wants you to see how a little kindness on the basketball court touches everyone who witnesses it.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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