A person in need is a person indeed!
Recently, there was a newspaper report in our local newspapers asking that shoppers do not give money to beggars. People were urged to donate to the organisations set up to serve street homeless people in the county instead.
Where do we stand on this? The assumption is that most beggars are professionals, how can we discern whether the person on the street asking us for money, head down, hands out, is genuine or not?
I agree that we should give, time or money, in a more constructive way and try to do what I can with the homeless charities and various shelters in my city. I do give when I am able to.
But walk past? I am not sure.
We can look to The Bible for our wisdom, try reading Isaiah 61 v1-7,
or Matthew 15 v32.
When you walk by thinking “Ah, it’s ok, I will donate to the charity”, it doesn’t show our Christian heart; the heart of Jesus.
What would Jesus do in this circumstance? I know he would squat down and show compassion for the person behind the outstretched hands. Would He give money? Probably not as He had none, but would He give of Himself? Yes.
So, what would you give or do:
a kind word,
a cup of tea,
food for the dog,
a hastily purchased burger from the shop,
ask (and then remember) their name,
stop (and perhaps even sit down) for a chat……?
A person in need is a person in need of compassion.
Image taken from www.freehugscampaign.org/