In the Christian realm, the "issue" of giving money to the homeless is occasionally brought up. In these conversations, the argument is almost always made about how if you give money to a homeless person, they're going to use it to buy drugs or alcohol.
A while back, this subject came up with my dearest friend. He gave me a new perspective that I have found to be so powerful, I felt the need to share it. He said (paraphrasing) that we give money to all sorts of individuals (celebrities, organizations that support causes we don't agree with) who don't need it, that we know will not be used for the Christian good (Tom Cruise, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg anyone!?!?!?), so what causes us to think twice before giving money to a person that we can clearly see needs our money?
It's a bit of a sucker punch if you really think about it. Why does the guise of "entertainment" all of a sudden nullify and void our responsibility? Why does the guise of "homeless" do the same? Why aren't more Christians freaking out about how many people in our country have no bed to sleep in? Why aren't more Christians rushing out to care for the gentleman/gentlewoman who is standing on the street corner holding up a sign? Why is it so hard for us to do?
It is incredibly hard for me to do, I confess. I have been wracking my brain trying to understand the reason for it and I can't think of a justifiable one. The closest that comes to mind is a sense of mistrust. But that would only be reasonable if I am entitled to know what these individuals do with my gift, which I am not. Jesus did not say "feed the hungry" as long as they can show you that they truly DO live in a cardboard box, have never touched a drop of alcohol, and are 100% sober and attempting to find gainful employment. And how do I know that this person is not teetering on the fence of salvation? How do I know that this person is not an angel in disguise, or has not just cried out to God: If you really exist then give me food for tonight! Why are we so disturbed by the presence of the houseless individuals? Is it the burden of responsibility that we are oh so comfortable ignoring? Is it our own failures being shoved in our faces? Our failures of actually obeying what Jesus has commanded us to do: feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, care for the orphans...
It's amazing how easy it is to give money to an organization when the person who desperately needs it is standing right in front of my face, ASKING me to help them. Why do my eyes so quickly and desperately turn away from their plea for mercy? Why is my heart not overflowing with love and a deep desire to provide for their needs? How dare I profess to be a "Christian" while passing them by...?
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