Early Christians were the true starter of philanthropy. Even the Roman Emperor Julian, had to admit it out of hatred:
"Why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase unbelief of the pagan gods? For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Christians support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us."
I had trouble singing at Redeemer the hymn "Be Still, My Soul" (a shorter version) by Katharina von Schlegel. "The Lord is on your side"? I had to change it to something like "stand firm on His side".
"Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side. Leave to your God to order and provide. In every change faithful he'll remain. Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side!"
Now, I have looked up that hymn, I learned that it is perhaps based on Psalm 46:10-11:
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psa 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
or
Psalm 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Of course, the keyword would be perspective. I am very much with Lincoln on who should be on whose side. But scripture cannot be erred. One must be sensitive enough to know the perspective of a statement. "Leave to your God to order..." This can easily suggest one being on God's side. For that, I should not have trouble with the hymn. May His mercy be upon me.
I came across the biography of Horatio Spafford, who authored the hymn "It is well, with my soul", which was penned after multiple remarkable tragedies he has faced: Death of sons and daughters. His Presbyterian church was wrong in interpreting this as divine punishment, which led to his family forming their own sect: The American Colony, in Jerusalem. This inspired the writing of the Nobel prize novel: Jerusalem, by Selma Lagerlöf. I have not fully examine the hymn, but the ministry of American Colony turned into a hotel due to inner tension. I believe this could be due to liberalism since they focus on charity, instead of the Gospel.
I have still two sermons by Tim Keller which I should review in my coming entry after I have re-listened to them.