Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17, NIV).
July 21, 2011
It's rare for me to catch the green light at the intersection of Fort Street NE and Auburn Avenue NE in Atlanta. Each weekday morning I stop at the traffic signal, and I observe the street corner activity. I always see a handful of homeless people sleeping under the viaduct. And a beggar usually approaches me once a week.
Prepared to clean car windshields with a bottle of glass cleaner and a crumpled newspaper, a man approached the car to my right. Before the man could utter a word, the driver had a conniption. She shook her head profusely, leaned against her horn, and motioned for the man to move away from her vehicle. The man paused, then walked over to my car and asked me for help.
I gave him one dollar.
Thank you!
This incident occurred last Tuesday, and I'm still bewildered by the other driver's response to the beggar. I tried to gain understanding as to why the woman was so agitated by the homeless man. He did not accost me; he greeted me with a smile and made a simple request. He was set to perform a service if I agreed to help him. If the homeless man approached the other driver in the same manner as he approached me, her response seemed irrational.
As I sought clarity during my time of meditation, I revisited one of my favorite books of the Bible, Proverbs. Several verses advise how we should treat the poor. However, Proverbs 22:2 resonated with me the most: "Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all."
As a Christian, I've been trained to demonstrate kindness and offer help to people in need. I will likely never know why the homeless man irritated the other driver and I must be mindful not to prejudge the condition of others. It is simply my duty to acknowledge the humanity of God's people and be prepared to serve as a vehicle of compassion.
PROVERBIAL DISCUSSION
How would you have reacted in the situation?
Why do you think the other woman reacted the way that she did?
For the most part, I think it's part of my character to be compassionate. There have even been times when I didn't offer assistance to those who "advertise themselves as homeless" and I've felt guilty for not helping. As to why the woman "had a fit", it's difficult to say, but maybe she was "in the midst of a storm", herself.
ReplyDeleteI almost always give what I can. I often feel uncomfortable when approached, but that's more out of general embarrassment that our society doesn't seem to be trying very hard to solve the problem of homelessness. There are people who tell me that the person asking for money is just going to go get drunk, but I think that's a copout. Yes, sometimes that's what they're going to do, but you don't know for sure what they'll do with the money. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Not long ago, someone asked me for money. I asked him to wait while I shopped, but I'd be back. I returned with a Subway sandwich and included some money in his takeout bag. I don't know what he did with the money, but I do know he had a good meal. Just because I'm not a Christian doesn't mean I can't follow Jesus' example.
ReplyDelete