Groups like Al-Anon will recommend those with addiction not be enabled . I wonder if this is part of the reason we are taught to be wary of panhandlers?
Or is it an extension of the "Protestant work ethic"?
Many great saints distributed good to the poor, presumably with no discussion regarding their being deserving or not.
A funny but also sad story; Not too many years ago, before my husband retired from the PO, he was walking his route through the "hip" downtown area during the weekly farmer's market. Many people were milling around at the vendors on that beautiful warm summer day. He noticed a fellow sprawled on a lawn under the shade of a tree, dressed in rags and apparently sleeping, possibly dehydrated. My husband approached him and asked if he needed help. Up jumped this disheveled man, yelling "Hallelujah, Brother!", immediately shaking my husband's hand with joy. Turned out it was a friend of ours, a carpenter by trade, but he also ran his own private food bank to help those less fortunate. His experiment on that day was to find out how long it would take before he was approached by anyone, be it an offer of kindness or not. He'd spent over three hours laying on the grass as people walked past him averting their gaze, when finally.. up stepped the postal carrier to offer help. So yeah, we had a laugh about it afterwards, but also terribly saddened by the fact that so many chose to ignore someone in need.
Wow, Claire...that very much evokes mixed emotions. I'm saddened by your friend being ignored but SO grateful that he is leading by example by literally starting his own food bank.
Groups like Al-Anon will recommend those with addiction not be enabled . I wonder if this is part of the reason we are taught to be wary of panhandlers?
Or is it an extension of the "Protestant work ethic"?
Many great saints distributed good to the poor, presumably with no discussion regarding their being deserving or not.
Amen, Jaye. I'm not here to judge the vulnerable people I meet. 🙏
Amen!
Thank you for your donation!!!! 🙏💕🙏
What law?
🎯
A funny but also sad story; Not too many years ago, before my husband retired from the PO, he was walking his route through the "hip" downtown area during the weekly farmer's market. Many people were milling around at the vendors on that beautiful warm summer day. He noticed a fellow sprawled on a lawn under the shade of a tree, dressed in rags and apparently sleeping, possibly dehydrated. My husband approached him and asked if he needed help. Up jumped this disheveled man, yelling "Hallelujah, Brother!", immediately shaking my husband's hand with joy. Turned out it was a friend of ours, a carpenter by trade, but he also ran his own private food bank to help those less fortunate. His experiment on that day was to find out how long it would take before he was approached by anyone, be it an offer of kindness or not. He'd spent over three hours laying on the grass as people walked past him averting their gaze, when finally.. up stepped the postal carrier to offer help. So yeah, we had a laugh about it afterwards, but also terribly saddened by the fact that so many chose to ignore someone in need.
Wow, Claire...that very much evokes mixed emotions. I'm saddened by your friend being ignored but SO grateful that he is leading by example by literally starting his own food bank.