Have you ever seen someone on the side of the street panhandling and experienced that awkward situation where you wanted to look, but didn't want to be caught looking? I'm inclined to have awkward interactions with people to begin with, so these particular situations can be especially anxiety-inducing.
At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to justify myself, I will say in my defense that often times I simply don't carry cash or other items of use to these individuals. If I have money, I'll typically give them a few dollars (I was probably just going to waste them on a soda I didn't need, if I'm being honest). Otherwise, I'm stuck in this personal Hell trying to avoid the cocktail of emotions created by guilt, embarrassment, pity, and social awkwardness.
Sadly, many of us do this on a regular basis to all sorts of "in need" individuals. We may have a legitimate reason for avoiding the opportunity to help, but at the end of the day we are still avoiding someone in need. It makes us feel bad (or it should). We should have a desire to help others, to give to others, and to bring relief to others. This is how Christ lived his life and how the disciples lived there's. The temptation is strong to look the other way when we see an opportunity to help a stranger, but helping strangers is what we're called to do!
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, [...] (Galatians 6:10a)
Our regular interactions with strangers, coworkers, and casual acquaintances can make us grow callous to the needs surrounding us. We grow accustom to Debbie who is always complaining about her health or Jack who doesn't ever seem to be able to bring his own lunch. We begin to accept these things as "the natural order of things". The calling for a Christian is to rise above that which we've grown accustomed; to be unwilling to accept the discomfort and suffering of another being and to have a heart that yearns to bring relief to others.
It will always be more convenient to not help. It will always make more sense to withhold charity from a stranger. We will always be able to grasp onto some form of excuse which conveniently absolves us of our responsibility to be there for another. The call that should be left on our hearts should be to fight against this worldly tendency and begin seeing the needs of others, both strangers, casual acquaintances, and close friends, as more important than our own.
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