After I wrote my last blog, I started thinking about how that dog made me want to rescue him. I thought how helpless and hungry he looked. Then I started wondering why I don’t feel the same way about homeless beggars…..
Everyone has seen that guy or girl, holding a sign and begging for money. Why doesn’t it strike the same feelings as a lost, hungry dog? Well, I’l be the first to admit it. The situation is complex. For instance, we don’t know if it’s a scam. Frankly, I’ve seen my share of them. I once saw a guy at the entrance of a shopping center with a nearby McDonalds. He was holding a sign that read, “Help, hungry”. Beside him was a power pole with a large concrete base. Behind the concrete base he had hidden 4 or 5 bags of McDonalds food. Apparently, some wise people had decided to buy him food instead of giving him money. However, undaunted, he had hidden the food and was still trying to coax cash out of people.
We’re called to be charitable, but we’re not called to throw money away either. Yet, we’re called to serve; we’re not called to judge. As I said before, it’s a complex issue. However, I think the most important issue for me is viewing the person in a different light. When I look at a beggar, I should see a fellow human being. I should see a person created in God’s image just like me. I should remember that God loves that person just as much as he loves me. If I view the person in that light, then the answers become clearer. It still might not mean that I give the person money. It may mean that I refer him to church. It may mean that I take him to a shelter. It may mean that I help him find a job. It may mean I that find him some drug treatment. It may mean many different things, but it’ll mean more if I view him in a different light.