Sustainable Charity (from the Theological Virtues Trilogy)

The Physiologus, a 4th century text, claimed that a pelican would kill its rebellious young and then after three days revive it with its own blood. Christian theosophists embraced this myth as a metaphor for Christ's sacrifice and the pelican soon became a symbol in religious art for the ultimate act of charity: the sacrifice of self for the benefit of others.

We may aspire to such lofty behaviour, yet as humans we are bound by the limitations of our physicality and station in life. Our charity may not be a gift of blood, but of kindness, intimacy, or generosity. Only we can decide what, how, and with whom, we share, and when we give freely from that place, we can be confident that our gift is enough. - Roe LiBretto