As I was running errands today, I saw a man with a beaten cardboard sign. The sign read “Need Help. Please Give.” He was standing in the median of Cypresswood Drive at HWY 249 [Map] .The car in front of me generously gave the man a few bucks as I locked my doors. She had the “Jesus Fish” on her car.
I thought, “That’s the right thing to do. Give to those in need. I’m sure that he’ll take the money and buy booze.” I sat there and drove off, never making eye contact with the needy man.
On the way back to my apartment, I stopped at Kroger–the grocery store at that same very intersection. You can see it on this satellite map. It’s just above the red dot.
Next door to Kroger is a liquor store. I think it’s called M&R Liquors. As I was leaving Kroger (and sitting in my car), I saw a man walk into the store. I thought to myself, “I’ve seen that man before…where do I know him from?”
Bam. It hit me. He was the man asking for money. He was the needy man spending the money he pilfered from generous motorists. I sat there for a few minutes, stunned, waiting for him to come out. To his credit, I couldn’t tell if he bought any liquor.
It makes you think about all of the folks who stand and ask for money on the corners…
Andrew Maddox | Chasing the Wind
thoughts, musings, and writings of Andrew Maddox
Speaking of beggars, I saw two interesting men the other day. The first was a homeless man asking for money with a sign that said “hurricane victim. lost everything. please help” which surprised me, since that was the first sign like that i had seen.
more importantly, the second man i saw was a hitchhiker, with a sign that said “texis”.
yeah…i don’t ever give money to them….but sometimes i give them food.
I really like the fact that you addressed this. It may seem trivial, but I think that people begging at street corners is something that we shouldn’t just brush aside. Since I was very young, I have always been told, “Don’t give them money. They’ll just use it to buy booze.” Yet as Christians, we are called to help those in need, never to turn away a brother who asks for help, and to loan without expecting recompense. This created a qunadry in my mind. Do I give money to those who beg for it, knowing that it may not be put to good use? The answer that I came up with is this…Yes, I do. If I have the money and can spare it, I donate it. Because, really…I am called to help those in need. If they are dishonest in the asking, that is a problem not of my concern. I trust that God will not let a deed done for his glory go to waste, regardless of the outcome.
I think you should take a second to put yourself in a homeless man’s shoes. His possessions are likely limited to the clothes on his back. Each day he struggles to make ends meet. Perhaps buying a hot meal with the money he collects would be a good idea. It would ease his hungry for an hour or so, providing some relief. But if I were in his position, I would want to, even if just for a few hours, drown my troubles. I would want to forget that I had nothing and that the chances of gaining respect from people who drive past me in their cars, afraid to even look at me, is never going to happen. So who are you to judge this man because he chose to spend his money on liquor? If that is the one thing that can provide temporary relief for him…so be it. And you dont have to lock your doors. This man and others like him are not looking to attack you. Also, why are you so afraid to look this man in the eyes? Maybe pretending he doesnt exist helps to ease your mind, maybe you know you should be helping him, just like the women with the “Jesus fish.” I suggest you stop being ignorant. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Learn a thing or two about the hardships people just like you face on a daily basis before you judge the choices they make.
Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
Romans 12:16, The Message
didnt you post this yourself?
Jay — I agree–we should be more apt to give to them than to be shy from helping them in their plight.
Maggie — I agree that I don’t have any idea of their plight, and I’m not likely to ever be able to empathize with them. But I am quite confident that if you’re broke, alcohol is a BAD way to spend your money. At a certain point, you have to get over the delusions you may have of your situation and deal with it. I.e., “I’m broke and I’m trying to get back on my feet.” I can only suppose that he’s more interested in drinking than getting back on his feet — but that’s a supposition.
I’d be more than happy extend myself and help him out if only they’d take a step in that direction (it’s another story, but I’ve actually been trying to help another homeless man to get back on his feet…)
As for judging–I wasn’t judging. I was simply making observations about life and how they relate to stereotypes. And like I mentioned above, I have been trying to help a homeless man…(but not to blow my own horn).
And lastly, sometimes giving a homeless man money is not the most compassionate thing one could do. If you know that he’s going to waste his money forgetting his troubles (and waste the chances he has to improve his life), then I don’t feel it’s compassionate to help him. You’re just propagating a lifestyle of laziness and encouraging him to mire in his situation. Plus he’s dishonestly using the money people generously donate to him.
The Bible speaks highly of personal responsibility and that a man should work for the food he eats. And it also talks about not “being stuck-up” … I’m not there yet, but it’s important to take it all in and not select one verse to explain all of life!
Great comments…thanks to all. (And feel free to continue)