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Originally Posted by Leslie  There is a local, cultural difficulty with obedience to this. I live in a begging culture. I'm generous to the poor but ONLY the poor who live in places remote from my home. The reason is this. Were I to give to one person from my home or my car, the following day there would be a long lineup in front of my house.
We lived with this for a while when a retired missionary lived across the driveway from us. He listened to every sob story that came along and, during daylight hours, there were seldom less than 20 poor people who waited for him. So many of them came and banged on our door that I had to hire a security guard to fend them off so as to get some work done. His days were entirely consumed with dealing with the poor--both the really poor and the pretenders.
I've considered financing the benevolent fund of a local church, but the church is so corrupt it's more than likely that the money would line the pockets of the rich.
When I'm at clinic, the situation is different. The poor cannot travel easily between there and my house, so I'll listen to the stories, evaluate the needs, and respond appropriately. Perhaps this is merely rationalization but literal obedience to this injunction on my home turf would burn us out. We would be packed and gone within a month. Yet I feel guilty for not responding. Any solution? |
Yes, we often get 5-10 beggers at the door on some days. So much so that I switch over and nap during the day and work at night so as not to be distracted sometimes. The distractions are maddening when I am trying to study.
We usually ask them what their relationship is with us and if they went to their families first before coming to us (the cultural appropriate method of asking for funds, family first, then relatives...going to a stranger first is not normal). If for serious medical needs we always help, otherwise we try to send them away as we already have running commitments with 3 different ministry projects such that we never have any "extra" money. If they get pushy or demanding we send them away with nothing or if they are drunks we never give or healthy we try to give them a job first.
We usually have old rice or food and this always is gone because it gets given away. Poor older women or children we often invite in and have them eat with us so that family does not confiscate their food when they return home. Sad. Probably every week we have 20-30 guests at the door and at least 10-15 at dinner. When interior in the tribe this sounds awful but we actually set our plates outside after we eat and the kids lick our plates clean (they also stare through cracks in the wall in at us while we eat...cannot eat out in public there but must always close doors or eat inside a private room).
Yes, I do think the Gospel is radical and the early church was willing to distribute freely to the poor (but these were Christian families). I am struggling on how to save a little extra when usually medical needs or other pressing true needs get in the way of all of our "Rainy Day Funds."