Hello ,

In September 2013, a man in Brazil developed what doctors called "pathological generosity." In an article published in the journal Neuroscience, doctors described the strange case of a 49-year-old man identified as "Mr. A" who had a remarkable personality change after suffering a stroke. His physicians said that after the stroke affected the sub-cortical regions of the man's brain he suddenly had an "excessive and persistent" urge to help others. 

He wouldn't stop giving money and gifts to people he barely knew. According to his wife, he would buy candy, soda, and food for kids he met on the street. He was also quit his job as a manager of a large corporation. Dr. Larry Goldstein, a neurologist at Duke University said, "Although the observation of personality change is not that unusual, this particular one is apparently novel."

When asked by researchers if he wanted to return to his job, Mr. A. claimed that he "saw death from close up" and he wanted to "be in high spirits" for the rest of his life. Mr. A. was put on medication for depression, which he said cured his depression but his "pathological generosity" remained unchanged.*

"Pathological generosity;"  A phrase that caused me to stop and wonder, "if Christians were to do all of the good things for others that Jesus told us to do, would WE be diagnosed in the same way?" 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  John 13:34-35

Can we minister to others in such a way, that the people we meet will think that we really DO have something that no one else possesses?

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word