People call the church on a fairly steady basis with needs - some for groceries, some for bills they can't pay - but always with a need. I have no idea how to handle them.
I confess that I may be the most gullible, soft-hearted person that I know. I recall a time when my father and I were getting doughnuts at Shipley's in Memphis, TN one night as a man who looked down on his luck walked in. I was drawn to the man and felt sorry for him without knowing anything about him, without knowing if he even had a need. Now, at the time I made $5 a week in allowance and usually spent that on what a normal 9-10 year old boy does - junk. But at this particular time I had the $5 still with me. Dad noticed that I was looking. I may have even asked about why he looked so dirty, so poor. I remember Dad asking me: "Do you want to give him your allowance?" Of course!! I still had that $5. I could give it to him and help him. So, I said "yes," I did want to do it. Dad encouraged me... "Go over there and give it to him then."
I didn't. I was suddenly captivated by fear that I would be doing something wrong. That he really wasn't poor and maybe I'd be offending him. That he would be a mean person. I was scared of the man that, just moments before, I wanted to help.
I left that doughnut place with a lesson taught to me that I have yet to fully learn. The lesson of benevolence. This lesson is a harsh mistress - she teaches in difficulty and in emotional stress. She teaches us that getting taken advantage of is SO very wrong that we must run each and every need that gets expressed to us through a sieve of examination and distrust so tight that we often wouldn't be willing to help even if the person in need was to offer collateral and a down payment on the monetary gift.
She teaches that if a person is in need, they're really just trying to work the system and too lazy to help themselves. She teaches us that if we help each and every person in need - we'll be the ones in need and will be a sorry excuse for a human. We'll be shamed and marked as a gullible dummy who let themselves get taken advantage of too many times.
She teaches us that we can't help everybody - because that's just not being a good steward of what we've been given.
Of course, she normally teaches these things to us while we're sitting in a nice warm place - with a nice full pantry - with a nice outfit on - while typing on a nice computer - while posting on a nice blog.
This one issue keeps troubling me. Keeps haunting me, really. This idea that we've allowed to become ingrained in us that we "can't help everyone." It's not that the idea is so wrong - it's that we allow that idea to prevent us from being willing to help ANYBODY. We question, probe, test, and analyze each need to the point that we convince ourselves that there is no real need, just greedy people wanting to take MY money. That's stuff I WORKED for - you shouldn't expect me to give it away... right?
Jesus said that we'd always have the poor with us. He was/is/always will be right. No matter how prosperous a situation becomes, we always have those who do not have. For me the question can no longer be "should I help," but instead must become "HOW can I help."
Growing churches, increasing membership, Sunday school numbers - will any of that matter when Jesus asks me about the people that I ignored in their time of need?
I can't even write this without thinking "Yeah - but you'll get taken advantage of!! That's bad!!" Shame on me...
And I hear Jesus telling me... "This one thing you lack, sell all you have and give it to the poor." OH how I wish He hadn't said that. I wish I could explain it in some fancy way - but He's not real ambiguous here. Jesus is clear. How that looks in a practical situation - maybe we can debate that until the cows come home... but the point is this:
If I, given the exact same situation, was the one asking for help - how would I want to be treated and/or helped? Because, isn't that the essence of "Love your neighbor as yourself." Would I want the test more, or the help?
No comments:
Post a Comment