A True Art Of Charity

As I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighbouring town of Venice, Italy; the city of lights and water, and enjoying our coffee, a man entered, sat at an empty table beside us, called the waiter and placed his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one here one on the wall.” As we heard this strange order with interest, we observed that the man was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. And as soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee.” While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had their two cups of coffee, but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same. He pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee.” It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. And while we were enjoying our coffee, a poorly dressed man entered, seated himself, looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.” The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying. We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin. Now it was no surprise for us, the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears. Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted. He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem; he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee and without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him. He only looked at the wall, place an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see will be our wall of good deeds on the Day of Judgement. This is Charity, when you give from one hand and the other hand does not know about it. May the Almighty God help us all to spend for the poor and the needy!