- Jun 24, 2004
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Greetings all,
This is inspired by the "What if Jesus were alive today" thread. Abraxas brings up a verse from Matthew:
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
I greatly believe in this verse and it is widely known to be what Christianity should be all about. There is something I struggle with routinely though.
I will encounter homeless folks when I visit cities and sometimes I do help. When I was in San Francisco for a conference I saw a homeless woman and let her buy whatever she liked from Starbucks, that same night I bought a homeless man a bunch of Burger King stuff. This of course makes me feel good and I know I am helping these folks, if only temporarily.
Occasionally though I get worried about or scared of some homeless folks, not necessarily obviously mentally ill or dangerous ones. When this happens I will actively avoid and/or shun them as I am in "flight" mode. This causes me to be pretty conflicted as to whether or not I should have avoided them. I know my lizard brain is trying to protect me but later on my heart feels regret. Is the avoidance of possible physical harm an excuse? At least in the words of Christ? If I were to be at the pearly gates would my actions be questioned?
Basically any experience I have had with homeless has been relatively positive. I have had three interactions beyond simply giving a few dollars and they have all been nice. Another when I was in the D.C. area for a work week with a co-worker and his wife. I was lagging behind them as I was a third wheel this night and watched them walk by a homeless guy. I stopped as they went ahead and talked to him for a few minutes. He asked for money and I said all I had was my "lucky" 2 dollar bill. This was frequently the only bill in my wallet for a couple of years. So I gave it to him and he was genuinely moved enough to get up and give me a big hug.
When you experience things like this you really see that some of these people are good folks with no support, and small gestures make a huge difference in their life. Personally I can understand why Jesus said those words then. Our actions can make a huge impact on the down trodden. So much more than affluent folks.
Back to my previous questions then. Is the interest of self-preservation worth the active avoidance of the homeless in some situations? Especially when you see, first hand, the emotional benefits that can come to both parties? Am I causing myself spiritual harm in the name of "balancing" keeping myself safe and helping those in need? Is that WWJD??
Thanks anyone for your thoughts, stories and prayers(if you swing that way).
This is inspired by the "What if Jesus were alive today" thread. Abraxas brings up a verse from Matthew:
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
I greatly believe in this verse and it is widely known to be what Christianity should be all about. There is something I struggle with routinely though.
I will encounter homeless folks when I visit cities and sometimes I do help. When I was in San Francisco for a conference I saw a homeless woman and let her buy whatever she liked from Starbucks, that same night I bought a homeless man a bunch of Burger King stuff. This of course makes me feel good and I know I am helping these folks, if only temporarily.
Occasionally though I get worried about or scared of some homeless folks, not necessarily obviously mentally ill or dangerous ones. When this happens I will actively avoid and/or shun them as I am in "flight" mode. This causes me to be pretty conflicted as to whether or not I should have avoided them. I know my lizard brain is trying to protect me but later on my heart feels regret. Is the avoidance of possible physical harm an excuse? At least in the words of Christ? If I were to be at the pearly gates would my actions be questioned?
Basically any experience I have had with homeless has been relatively positive. I have had three interactions beyond simply giving a few dollars and they have all been nice. Another when I was in the D.C. area for a work week with a co-worker and his wife. I was lagging behind them as I was a third wheel this night and watched them walk by a homeless guy. I stopped as they went ahead and talked to him for a few minutes. He asked for money and I said all I had was my "lucky" 2 dollar bill. This was frequently the only bill in my wallet for a couple of years. So I gave it to him and he was genuinely moved enough to get up and give me a big hug.
When you experience things like this you really see that some of these people are good folks with no support, and small gestures make a huge difference in their life. Personally I can understand why Jesus said those words then. Our actions can make a huge impact on the down trodden. So much more than affluent folks.
Back to my previous questions then. Is the interest of self-preservation worth the active avoidance of the homeless in some situations? Especially when you see, first hand, the emotional benefits that can come to both parties? Am I causing myself spiritual harm in the name of "balancing" keeping myself safe and helping those in need? Is that WWJD??
Thanks anyone for your thoughts, stories and prayers(if you swing that way).