The Chains of Marley

Our Christian and Humanitarian Benevolent Responsibility

One way to fulfill Gods expectation of good stewardship is to contribute to the welfare of mankind using the gifts and talents God has given. In addition to providing an abundant life, God also gives each person the option of choice. A person can choose to be benevolent or oblivious to the needs of others. The choice is his or hers, along with the consequence of that choice. Being benevolent is a humanitarian responsibility for all people, whether or not they are a Christian. This book compares the individual benevolence obligation to Jacob Marley, the fictional character in Charles Dickens novella, A Christmas Carol. Jacob Marleys life, attitudes, characteristics, decisions, influences, and final destiny are discussed with the anticipation that, if people look closely, they may see a little of themselves reflected in this story.

What I like about this book, among other things, is how universal its concept is. How could the concept [of benevolence] be so widely held, yet so widely ignored? We all benefit from the very thing we so secretly want to avoid. This book confronts each of us in the area of that secret and gives us the freedom to do what we already know we should.
Brian Boyles, Senior Pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina