a fish or a rod ? ..

i just read an article a friend sent me some time ago
missed it somehow ..
it's all about the damage we do to homeless people when we just give them stuff .. ..

then last night i sat in a meeting involving several local churches, and homelessness was on the table
one person noted, with regards to a homeless camp initiative, that whereas warming centres were to alleviate suffering and were humanitarian in nature, homeless camps should be more long-term and 'transitional' - his point was that the goal is to lead those people through the issues they face, rebuild their confidence and sense of self worth, and guide/support them back in to society

i hear that
loud and clear
and while i've only been involved in homelessness for a short time, i do have a thought .. or 5

the person that wrote the article is a pastor
i'm not
the person that made the comment in the meeting is well-placed and experienced in homeless services
i'm not
so i come at it from the side, learning a bit here and a bit there as i go ..
take my comments with that in mind, please

1. i was struck by the comment that cold-weather warming centres are humanitarian, designed to relieve suffering ( in the context of that comment ) .. it burned in my stomach a bit - didn't feel right ..
2. the comments around hurting the homeless with need-based handouts had a similar effect ..

perhaps my ignorance is in play and i need to grow up; that's a real possibility

rabbi Jesus fed and healed and comforted with no respect-of-persons
he didn't have a sign-up sheet
he didn't have a questionnaire with standards to be met
he didn't have requirements and regulations and rules
he simply met the need
and it's a matter of speculation whether he saw many of those people again

that needs to be understood in a context, as everything does
he was a travelling prophet/potential Messiah, and probably didn't stay in a place long
and when he sent out disciples to travel with the Good News, they too were moving around, so the effect they had on a neighbourhood was not of the long-term type, with time to lead people anywhere, like through their poverty into settlement and security
Messiah was here, the kingdom of God was near, and that Good News was the pressing issue, to the Jew first and then also to the Greek
add to that his teaching to ' make disciples ' : that's a long-term involvement
so the things these people note are well-worth noting

however, it still don't sit well in my stomach
i hear the comments about giving ' a fishing pole rather than a fish ' ..
i hear that

i also know that scripture speaks to relieving need wherever you find it, whenever you see it
James speaks to that when he cites the issue of somebody begging for help, and i, with help in my pocket, wish a blessing and God's speed to the person and walk away .. narry a nod in the direction of rehabilitation; simply meet the need or not
and Messiah himself spoke to giving on the spot, and over-and-above the need to boot
walking 2 miles when asked to go 1
lending without recourse to getting back
meeting the need there and then
it's a need, after all

i see their point about homeless people taking the gift and selling it for drugs or alcohol ..
i get that

but you know what ?
i see hurting people
i see people on the edge
i smell people that need a shower
i touch people that are soaking wet, or shivering cold
i watch people that are struggling with addiction as they rock back and forth
and mental issues and emotional strain
the constant stress of living in the street

i ask you again to try hard to settle your mind for a minute or 15
to envision yourself living on the street
walk through a day in your life as a homeless person from the time the sun hits your face to the time the chill drives you to ground, and all that transpires inbetween ..
try
and then try again later
try hard
it's not easy to do

i agree the ultimate goal should be to lead people out of homelessness
if they want ( i know some sober-minded ones that like their life - met one yesterday: he's travelled for 20-something years and hit every contintnal state, on foot/bicycle/bus )

so, there is the issue of trying to get people out of a homeless cycle
and there's the issue of someone needing a shower and a clean pair of socks

i don't judge it anymore
i don't even judge the ones i know are on drugs
'cause it's mighty possible that 1/2 of them are on drugs because they're homeless
and maybe not all are homeless because they're on drugs, like we want to imagine
if a person is hungry, feed them
dirty, provide a shower and clean clothes
if you can, provide a safe place to sleep for a few hours - relieve them from the madness of trying to sleep without getting raped or .. or ..

in the doing of it, i try to engage them in conversation slowly
try to get them to feel a bit at ease
maybe want to chat about stuff
maybe even have a laugh or 3
over time maybe that translates into deeper stuff
headed in the direction of kingdom
.. maybe not

they know for the most part why i'm doing this
they understand somewhat of my motivation
some take me for a ride, play me
that's ok

the ones i can help i help

point is
while reforming homeless people is a noble endeavour
my focus right now is precisely on relieving their suffering, that humanitarian thing
even if for one day, one meal, one 4-hour sleep-in-peace

they know where to find me when they need me
that's mostly what i'm concerned about, at least for now

don't be so quick to jump on the reform bandwagon
you may lose some of those people in the process
they may not yet be ready for reform
but they still need food and clothing and shelter
and they still need to know that someone cares
and they're not as alone as they felt they were
'cause someone cares
no strings
no checklist
no questions

there's a place for that ..

{ sorry so long: i felt i was making a case against a stacked deck }

peace