Many Christian traditions emphasise charity and generosity, particularly towards the poor. Others say this does not go far enough and that we need to resist sinful economic systems and make big changes.

Some questions:

• Are these two ideas in tension? If so, which is more important?
• How does your conclusion affect the way you or your church behave or use and invest money?

You may find it helpful to read:

• Luke 19, 1-10
• Acts 4, 32-37
• A mixture of short and varied answers to the question ‘Does charity perpetuate inequality?’ from readers of the Guardian newspaper.