I was browsing the Freakonomics blog the other day and ran across this great quote by Ehrenreich, when asked this question:
You are walking down the street in New York City with $10 of disposable income in your pocket. You come to a corner with a hot dog vendor on one side and a beggar on the other. The beggar looks like he’s been drinking; the hot dog vendor looks like an upstanding citizen. How, if at all, do you distribute the $10 in your pocket, and why?
She said:
Although I’m atheist, I defer to Jesus on beggar-related matters. He said, if a man asks for your coat, give him your cloak too. (Actually, he said if a man “sue thee at the law” for the coat, but most beggars skip the legal process.) Jesus did not say: First, administer a breathalyzer test to the supplicant, or, first, sit him down for a pep talk on “focus” and “goal-setting.” He said: Give him the damn coat.
As a matter of religious observance, if a beggar importunes me directly, I must fork over some money. How do I know whether he’s been drinking or suffers from a neurological disorder anyway? Unless I’m his parole officer, what do I care? And before anyone virtuously offers him a hot dog, they should reflect on the possibility that the beggar is a vegetarian or only eats kosher or Hallal meat.
Is it interesting to anyone else that you have here an atheist (a well known one at that, and on a very popular media outlet), invoking the commands of Jesus as a guide for how we are to respond to those in need? It seems God’s really struggling with supposed “followers” when it takes beggars on the street to confront christians to follow the command to give, and an atheist in the media to remind christians of those commands.
Thanks for sharing. It is intriguing when non-Christians understand the call of Christ better than we do. But I am so often guilty of the same mistakes, especially in this situation. I don’t want my money to feed his bad habits so I guess I’ll let him starve.
Thanks for the encouragement to give no matter what. I’m trying!
BAM! Another link from my meager blog coming, ha ha. I actually have 3 or 4 planned. Keep rocking, Ariah!
i’m not totally sure barbara has the correct understanding of the depth of what jesus is saying there…
nor am i sure that this passage has anything to do with begging… it was centered around the structural injustices set up against jews by the romans. that verse and the ones about turning your cheek and going the extra mile were both about creative ways for the jewish people to confront the injustices they were facing at the hands of the romans.
see the powers that be by walter wink for an in depth analysis of these verses…
also, i spent some time with a woman in Minneapolis who is a superstar for her work with the homeless and she told me once that she doesn’t give money out to people who fly signs in Minneapolis. why? i can’t remember, but it was really good and if i could this would be a much better comment 🙂
so what is our creative 3rd way of addressing the issue of homelessness? i think it has to do with more than giving money..
i’m all for giving money to anyone who asks.. but always want to ask the questoin then “what else…”
i should also give money to groups that support the homeless, lobby my legislators and maybe even volunteer or get to know folks who are homeless… i think giving your money should be the first step not the only step.
Right on Neeraj,
Can’t blame an atheist for taking Jesus’ words out of context, she did have the right idea though I think, just maybe the wrong passage. But on that note, anyone interested in a proper understanding of those passages though, here is a brief summary of Walter Wink’s Jesus Third Way:
http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2007/01/22/entertaining-jesus-third-way/
And if you like Wink, you’ll like learning about the Myth or Redemptive Violence as well:
http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2007/01/16/the-myth-of-redemptive-violence-avoid-it/
Neeraj, definitely agree there are plenty of legit reasons people often don’t give, but I would argue far too often, the decision not to give results in use continuing not to follow Jesus’ example and God’s command of sacrificial giving. Here’s some of my thoughts on that:
http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2006/03/08/your-problem-with-giving-is-probably-you/
The big question is: What Else? Your absolutely right, what does that mean for you and me in our neighborhood?
I think the no stipulations thing is really tough. When a homeless guy asks me for money, I want to help him, but I know that dollar isn’t what he really needs.
Case in point, A few weeks ago a guy approached me and said he just needed $5 so he could catch a bus home. I reached in my pocket (thinking I had a dollar) and out popped a $5. I said “that should do it for you” and smiled. The guy mumbled thanks and quickly moved on to the next customer and started up with the same story. So my lame act of charity is completely ruined at this point because I know the guy lied to me and the next person down the line.
So I guess thats my way of saying, i have no freaking clue what to do with homeless beggars. 😛
the beautiful thing about what jesus was talking about with the cloaks was that by giving up his tunic and cloak, the man would be naked. back then the shame of nakedness was not on the person who was naked, but on the person viewing the nakedness. so now the ruthless roman trying to fleece this poor jewish person out of his land would be fully engrossed in shame.
that is not true now. when we see a homeless person, the shame is on that person. standing on the corner, begging, maybe disheveled. but what if that shame should really be placed on us? on a society that allows so many people to be without homes, without family, without support, without health care, without love, without compassion…
so how do we take the shame that society places on the homeless, and transfer that shame to us and society itself?
maybe that would be the way jesus would want us to make change….
Neeraj,
Very good point. That is a good question about how do we transfer that shame. An interesting situation. Some creative thinking and we might be able to come up with something.