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When I was a penny-pinching student in the 1990s, I was struck by comedian Jack Handey’s piercing one-liner: “If I ever get real rich, I hope I’m not real mean to poor people, like I am now.” This joke was rather too close for comfort. Generosity, I realised, isn’t about how much we give, but about who we are - and how much we choose to keep for ourselves. That challenge has come into sharp focus for me again with Bill Gates’ recent pledge to give away 99% of his wealth, mostly to facilitate better healthcare for African mothers and children. In a recent blogpost he wrote: “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'he died rich' will not be one of them." The founder of Microsoft is being incredibly generous, especially when contrasted with governments who are retreating from global responsibility. One study from Boston University estimates that as a direct result of USAID cuts alone, 200,000 children around the world have already died. Bill Gates will remain a billionaire, even after donating 99% of his wealth. But ultrahigh net worth individuals do not have a monopoly on generosity. We must all wrestle with how to be generous with the resources that we have. In a world of seemingly infinite need what moral equations could possibly answer the question of who should receive our charity? Some people take a utilitarian approach, seeking to get the most beneficial bang for their buck. Others are steered more by emotionalism. But generosity is not an exact science, and sometimes well-intentioned acts of charity are not well-informed and can end up doing more harm than good. Generosity has a central place in Christian theology. The gospels show this in action from Jesus - but also pass on Jesus’ teaching about how to be generous. On one occasion Jesus sat near the Temple in Jerusalem watching people bring their offerings. He observed the rich giving large sums from their surplus, and a poor widow who quietly dropped in two tiny coins. She, Jesus said, had given more than anyone else -because she had given everything she had. When God does the accounting, it’s not the size of the gift that counts - but the size of the sacrifice. However much we have - or don’t have, our generosity connects us to the God who gave us everything and with those in need around us. True generosity doesn’t just depend on government’s aid budgets. Nor does it depend on the world’s billionaires - though I encourage others to follow in Bill Gates’ footsteps. True generosity depends on all of us.