A New Perspective

   When Ron and Deborah first began to volunteer at Union Gospel Mission, one particularly disgruntled man expressed his opinion of them.  He said, "I don't know who you folks are, but you think you're doin' us some kind of big favor.  Well, tonight when you and your pretty little wife are home thinkin you're better than us, just think about this: You miss a coupla paychecks and your wife leaves you and you'll be homeless-just like us! (Pg 87)"  

   

   This statement speaks volumes to all of us.  Often times, when we volunteer or do a "good deed" for the homeless, we believe we just did them a huge favor.  We have temporarily “improved” their living condition, so these individuals should be forever indebted to us.  Although we may truly have compassion for those in need, we help…and leave.  To distance ourselves from their problems, we spend a few hours serving them, then we quickly return to our comfortable lives.  We automatically assume that the individuals in these positions are drug dealers, prostitutes, gangsters, or beggars and somehow deserve to be in their lowly state.  However, I believe the statement above drives us to the conclusion that just because someone is homeless, doesn’t mean that they aren’t human like us.  Something beyond our control could occur and we would wind up right beside them.  

   Instead of believing that we are changing someone else’s life by our “good deed,” I believe we should instead realize that they are changing ours.  By serving the homeless, we find ourselves more grateful and with more compassion towards others.  These desires bring us closer to the heart of God as we pursue “God’s people” as Deborah dubs them.

Wayne Teasdale's "A Different View of the Homeless: A Light in the Street":
http://www.grandtimes.com/A_Different_View.html