Jesus is quoted as having said to an accused adulterous woman: Let he
who is without sin, cast the first stone.
The Bible tells us that the woman’s accusers, feeling the stress of
guilt, relented, not only dropped their stones with which they were ready to
punish the woman, but also their will to carry out the punishment. “Where are your accusers, are they not ready
to condemn you?”(paraphrasing). In
response to the woman’s answer, Jesus essentially said, if they are not going
to condemn you, then neither am I.
Perception or Reality?
As we look at our
homeless population across the world, we have to wonder if, as a civililized
society, we have turned our backs on those who are less fortunate? Pick a number in the millions, and if that
number is 1, that has to be too many people who are living without an actual
roof over their heads or food to eat.
If we were to do an
overview of families who go day to day without food to eat, the numbers maybe
even more staggering than those who are homeless. Even if the numbers are competitive in terms
of homeless to hungry, it is perhaps a reflection more on us, than them, that
they go without food or shelter.
If we were to just sit
and observe these two events of homelessness and hunger for any period of time,
while many of us go about our business trying to take care of our own basic
necessities, we would perhaps feel that we are justified in turning our heads,
or our backs on those who are without a roof over their heads, or food to
eat. Goodness knows, that with layoffs
and budget cuts here in our country (USA
For the sake of argument,
is it possible that homelessness or hunger, wherever it maybe, can be somewhat
tolerable because, we are not sure that we aren’t going to be the next family,
standing in a welfare line, or at a food bank?
Should we be glad, sad, or disinterested for those who don’t know where
their next meal is coming from because, we aren’t doing much better? How do we handle this extremely sensitive
issue of helping those who are without basic necessities such as a home or food
to eat?
Based on the numbers,
925,000,000[2] faced hunger as of 2010, it would appear that we don’t
care. According to the United States Conference of
Mayors, in 2008 the three most commonly cited causes of homelessness for
persons in families were lack of affordable housing, cited by 72 percent of
cities, poverty (52%), and unemployment (44%), and top ideas to stop
homelessness were more housing for persons with disabilities (72%), more or
better paying employment opportunities (68%), and more mainstream assisted
housing (64%). [3] Since
statistics are often a barometer of interest, is it fair to conclude that we,
as a civilized society, don’t care about those who don’t have the means to make
their lives better? Is this a perception
or reality?
Definition of Wealth:[4]
4 a : all property
that has a money value or an exchangeable value
b : all material
objects that have economic utility; especially : the stock of
useful goods having economic value in existence at any one time <national wealth>
Examples of wealth
·
a nation that has acquired great wealth
·
someone whose sole goal is the accumulation of wealth
·
Her personal wealth is estimated
to be around $10 billion.
·
What percentage of the national wealth is spent
on health care?
·
I was impressed by the wealth of choices.
·
Libraries offer a
wealth of information.
Wealth, as we will
continue to learn, is not limited to monetary value. It is best represented by the perceived value
that we place on any given idea or thing.
As those who are homeless will attest, there is a tremendous amount of
wealth among those who live on the streets.
For those of us who are blessed to have a home, and food to eat everyday
and often discard seemingly unimportant things such as a mattress that is too
lumpy, or an unfinished box of chicken and fries, these are presumed delicacies
to the homeless. I observed this on many occasions as I watched people pull
food from dempsters outside of fast food restaurants. Wealth, among the homeless is an old set of
clothes to us that in many cases still have new price tags still on them. Wealth is a relationship with someone who watches
your back in a world where everyone else has turned theirs on you.
Let He Who is Without Wealth, Suffer
I want to believe that it
is just a perception that we, as a civilized society don’t care about our
homeless, or those who are hungry. But
our actions may speak louder than our words. Our actions strongly suggest, that for those
who are unable to do better, or for those who are without wealth, we are saying
to them: let them suffer.
Please, don’t say that
this is a reflection of our society (although hunger and homelessness is). That would suggest that as a civilized
society, we build obstacles so difficult, that even for those with the greatest
of minds, the greatest of talents, or even the most basic of means, that they
will give up, go away, and suffer because the rules are often changed to bring
about the desired results-poverty. So I
ask you again, is it a perception or reality, that those who are able to
contribute to our society, are made to serve as examples as to what can, and
perhaps may occur to us if we don’t do what is demanded of us in our civilized
society? Are we saying to those who are
unable to make a way for themselves, suffer?
I sincerely hope not, and here is why.
We know that hunger and
homelessness exists throughout the world.
These two societal ills will forever and a day, exist, without question,
let us not fool ourselves. But as a Conspiracy Theorist (no degree), homelessness
and hunger may actually serve as an inspirational centerpiece for those of us
who maybe, thinking about slacking off in society.
I venture to suggest that
those who have the wherewithal, those who control the world’s billions in
dollars, will intentionally allow a few million people like us to never rise
up, or improve our lives as a continued reminder, to us who think that we have
it made, that if we don’t come to work, we will be homeless; that if we don’t
work 50 hours on a 40 hour a week salary, that we are going to be on the
streets, or, that if we dare question the conditions of our jobs, or the
conditions of our communities, we will be made to suffer through our
reputations, and thus, we will eventually have nothing to fall back on,
eventually to be homeless and hungry. (No evidence to support my theory, but no
evidence contrary either).
Another way to look at
our growing homeless and hungry population, even in our so-called civilized
society, is to blame them (the hungry and the homeless). Let us make them villains for their
conditions. Never mind that they once
owned multi-million dollar homes, or made bad investments. Never mind that many are educated doctors, lawyers,
teachers, engineers, or government workers.
Never mind that they once earned over $500,000 a year. They must have done something irresponsible
to find themselves in such a predicament.
Maybe, their position as homeless and hungry is a reflection of whom they
really are: unwilling to bear their responsibility for their actions. They are
lazy and deserve to be homeless, they deserve to go hungry. Let them suffer!
Outlawing Homelessness- http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/106/brown.html
And heaven help those in
need who are ex-convicts, having supposedly “served their time”! We as a society exercise the highest and
mightiest of discretion (uppitiness). We
don’t hire ex-cons. They are entirely a
menace to society. Let them suffer is
the perception that actually maybe the reality.
What is wrong with us? At what
point do we say to those who are down on their luck, I will open a door for
you, providing of course, you meet us half way?
HALFWAY?
How do we define what is halfway
and why? Halfway would suggest that
those who are homeless or hungry, or even down on their luck, that we can do
something to make their situations better, and that for their efforts, we have
a plan to welcome them back into society if they meet a certain criteria. Let’s be honest, we don’t have a measure of
halfway for those who are willing and able to get back into our “rat race”. The perception is reality in that those who
are without a way to make it, are more likely to be told: “sink or swim”. Or, “Make it the best way that you can!” Perception or Reality? I am going to go with reality, how about you?
Why is it necessary to
have a halfway? If we had to establish
what a halfway point for those who are willing to come out of the cold needs to
be, we need at least to provide them with a basis. That basis is our theme for this blog: Let He Who is Without Wealth. Halfway would be one of if not all four of
the following:
a.
Create it!
b.
Earn It!
c.
Build It!
d.
Protect it!
Neither of the four
suggestions above are necessarily measurable.
Neither is any of the four suggested ideas a guarantee of success. There maybe a possibility of measuring
qualitatively, but not numerically. But
they are basic suggestions. These are
the starting points for anyone who is willing to rise up from their status as
homeless. Is it a get rich quick
scheme? Is it a magic pill? NO! and
NO! But for those us who are willing to
believe in ourselves and are willing to turn our lives around, many of us, who
maybe one paycheck from where many of our homeless are, have to lay the
groundwork for our brothers and sisters who are in need and want to put their
lives back together.
It is not enough to “throw
money at people” although it is a small help and no doubt appreciated. It is not enough to offer a “handout”, which
will only last for a short period of time and is unsustainable. So we must give to our brothers and sisters
in need what we would want for ourselves if we were in such a position, an
opportunity to be met halfway.
We would want someone to
spell out what it is we need to do, that once we would meet our goals and
objectives, it would satisfy a measurement of halfway, and that those who have
the wherewithal would open the doors to opportunity that we would begin our
lives anew. Halfway, that’s all we would
want for someone to do for us, now let us do the same for those in need.
If we spell out what we
believe any motivated person would want to tackle if someone gave them a
chance, it’s possible that we can see more people taking a more constructive
approach to rebuilding their lives. Here
is what we are suggesting:
“The creative
is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of
your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover
will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” — Alan Alda [5]
Create It- Start from scratch.
You haven’t always been where you are.
And the fact that you are at this point in your life, suggests nothing
more than you have to start all over.
So, get started. If you start out
now creating your next big thing, you have to be further away from where you
are now than if you didn’t do anything. Just
remember, whatever it is you create, protect it. Trusting only those who share an interest in not
only what you are trying to do, but they too are trying to make something great
happen in their lives as well. Don’t get
caught up with someone who is comfortable in the lifestyle that you would like
to put behind you.
Earn It-I have watched often as people gather at intersections, or
walk along busy streets asking for whatever is available from whoever will give
them the time of day. I was once asked
by a young boy (early teens) in front of a fast-food restaurant for $5.00 in order
to buy a food. I was bothered at this,
but told him I did not have anything to give him. Why was I upset? Inflation has struck those who are in
need. When I used to asked people for
money as a child, I would ask for nickel or dime. That was over 50 some years ago, so maybe
$5.00 was logical in these hard economic times.
I watch too as the signs
have changed over the years from “Will work for food” to “Please help, lost
job, God Bless.” I have seen many forms
of those who were presumably homeless stand in the hot sun, cold weather,
stormy rains, and any other weather, with their signs. I have seen blacks, whites, Hispanics, men
and women, some with pets, others in groups, all hoping that we will reach into
our cup holders, or pockets to render them any loose change. Rarely have I observed those in need with
children at these intersections. It’s as
though there are guidelines to soliciting money from strangers. But it has been done, and of course, it is
hard to turn away someone in that position.
But, I judge.
Jobs for Felons Magazine-
http://www.jobsforfelons.net/tag/help-the-homeless/
I Judge
I judge because, I
believe that as much as my own life started out that way with my birth mother
on welfare, and me begging on the street as a child, that there has to be a way
to rise up from homelessness. I believe
that there has to be a way of rising up from hunger. How naïve of me? Only because I was raised by my adopted
parents to earn everything that I eventually received. I was taught to wash cars, cut grass, go to the
grocery store for elderly neighbors. I
was allowed to go out an earn my way as early as 13 years old in the
neighborhood. And that has not left me
to this day. It is in me to Earn it! Why
don’t those who are homeless try to earn
a living?
Can’t those who are
homeless be trusted to wash a car, sweep or rake a yard? Can’t they be entrusted to load or unload a
truck? Why do homeless people appear to
be unwilling to make it in the world?
Don’t they feel as though they should earn my loose change? I am sure if I were to ask one of them, they
would either beat the crap out of me, or challenge me to sit under the bridge
for months on end and try to “earn it”.
I am sure that they would challenge me to sleep on a hard cold ground
with only 2 blankets in 40 or below weather and earn it.
Is it possible for the
homeless within our cities to earn a living?
Is there a possibility of those who still have a desire to prove to the
system that they are not going to be defeated by the system, that they can earn
their way back? Am I, like the rest of
the “civilized world” acting without regard for those who are on the streets
and still need a steady diet, and something to shoot for that is real? Maybe I am.
Maybe I have become the very society that I am condemning, that I ask
those who are in need to earn their way back into society. How unfair am I being?
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from
achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental
attitude." -- Thomas Jefferson
[7]
Build It! Build what? If you are homeless, and in need of food,
what do you have to build and from what? And what do you build that is
sustainable? For those who have
seemingly nothing, the idea of building anything of significance seem
irrelevant.
For those who are
homeless and in need of basic necessities, building wealth involves a strategy
that many of us take for granted. While
we lock the deadbolts on our homes, or put the alarms on our cars, the homeless
are forced to carry their load everyday, or trust someone with whom they have
cooperated with to watch their back. But
the concept of “build it” as it is used here is in no way related to
structural. It relates to a strong and
overwhelming desire to do whatever it takes to get back into the mainstream of
life, if that’s what they want to do. It
requires that those who are homeless be covetous. Yes, covetous.
Those who are homeless
must be covetous of relationships that despite being homeless, can still lead
to long term benefits. They must be
covetous of opportunities that are not out of the realm of possibility that
when laid out could lead to a part-time job, or an opportunity to showcase a
lost skill.
In order to get back any
semblance of the life they once held, those who are on our streets and without
a roof over their heads must set goals equal to or greater than their greatest
desire: to be with family, to start a
business, to be able to have a roof over their heads, or to be able to help
others to get off of the streets as well.
Protect It!
Protect it! It is an important strategy that very
quickly if not easily is learned by those on the streets. Theft among the homeless is less likely to be
a police call to 911. Their personal
effects, in many cases are the clothes and bags that they keep within their immediate
control. But, if by some chance they
have to leave something behind, they have to find a “safe” place to hide their
valuables, or, they will have to start all over. But in this context, protecting it applies
not to things, but ideas, goals and dreams.
“Protect it” applies to the creativity of their dreams, the earnings
that they are able to acquire and the wealth that they are determined to build. Whatever it is, regardless of your status, it
is important to protect it as we live in a society that has no problem with
taking, stealing, or misappropriating our possessions, including the ideas of
others.
Conclusion:
By the conception of the
Coveted Commandment, those without a home to call their own, or a regular plate
of food to eat, can’t be discouraged by the perception or the reality of a
society that seems to say; “Let them suffer”, or “make it the best way that you
can”. Of the millions that are homeless
around the world, there can be no shortage of desire to live a life that is
full and complete. We as a society that must
be willing to open the doors of opportunity to those who are without. By contrast, those who are without must be
willing to carry out a strategy that is goal-oriented. Whether those in need decide to create a new
way of life, or earn a living by working for it, or building new relationships
fostered by innovative ideas, they still have to protect whatever it is they
have until they reach a level of comfort that keeps them off of the streets. For us, once we observe or are convinced that
those who are in need are serious about changing their lives, we should make
every effort to open doors of opportunities to help them to achieve a healthy
and happy life. It is what we would want others to do for us.
It is what we should be willing to do, knowing that those who are without are
willing to meet us halfway. This, rather
than let those who are without, suffer.
[2]
Worldwide Hunger as of 2010- http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm#Number_of_hungry_people_in_the_world
[4]
Definition of Wealth-http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wealth
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