So the other night Steve and I got into this great debate, we never came to an answer that we both agreed upon, so I'm going to put this out there and get your opinions.
This is kind of a weird debate, so please don't laugh too long and hard at us, but here it is...
Say you're walking down the street and you see a homeless person digging through a garbage can looking for something to eat. You feel bad about it and are not sure what to do about it. Do you
A) Say, "oh that's sad", and then continue on your way,
B) Give them a couple of dollars and hope they spend it on something they really need,
C) Go help him dig through the garbage to find food so he/she doesn't think you think less of them, or
D) Go buy him/her something to eat so he can have a decent meal tonight.
This debate went on for about a half an hour and we finally agreed to disagree on what the best thing to do would be. I would love to hear what you guys would do, then I will let you know what we each thought.
6 comments:
I would probably actually do A...but I've thought about D before. Sometimes when I drive by 'homeless' people holding signs or something I think about getting them some McDonald's or something-but I probably wouldn't really follow through with it.
At a gas station once, my sister leaned in and asked if I had any money. Thinking it was for the gas, I handed her a $20 bill. Then I watched her scurry across the parking lot and give it to a bag lady. I felt like I'd been had, but hopefully I got some blessings.
I guess I'd rather the Lord judge me for giving them money or food than choosing to do nothing. What they do with the money/food is what they will be judged for. That being said, I rarely have food or money on me, so sadly I often do nothing.
I never have cash on me, so I would most likely not give cash. I have many times passed a pan handler and thought about how they make lots of money sitting there. But, if the person is actively looking for something to eat, I would try to buy them some food. I would not do it if I was alone with the kids. I have heard stories. This is a tough question, I like to hope I would be charitable, but it would be out of my comfort zone, and that is hard to venture out of.
For safety's sake, I would probably just give money. If I didn't have to worry about that (like if I was a big burly man), I'd offer to take them somewhere and buy them lunch.
-Al
A good friend taught my husband a lesson one day when he gave money to a person begging for money. He said that it was better to give and not be judged - he always gives the change in his pocket. I seldom have change or money on me, but if I do, I will give some-thing.
I would go to a McDonalds and buy his the number 4! And I'd give him a treat of a chocolate shake. I'm serious! I used to do this when I worked downtown and there was a homeless guy that was a vietnam vet with one leg and a pug dog. I'd go to Crossroads and pick up lunch for him. And the dog ALWAYS got a jerky stick. We became friends. I see him at Gateway now and he still remembers my name.
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