Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Heaven's Call?





Today there was a "homeless" guy at the Safeway parking lot entrance. He had a sign saying something like "hungry, homeless, Jesus loves." I parked and, as I approached the door to the market only 30 yds from the hapless fellow, I encountered a young woman Salvation Army bellringer standing adjacent her pot shaking her bell and producing that familiar repetitous tone. Although I didn't say anything, I thought of catching her attention, point to the fellow and, in a polite voice, recommend something like "Perhaps you might take that kettle over there and dump some coins in that guy's hands. That's what you're here for... isn't it?" Of course, the plainly-clothed, totally-bored bellringer had been hired by her employer at minimum wage to stand there for a shift and seek donations. I am sure that the Salvation Army at corporate had figured that all the nation's bellringers' yield, aka gross income, would exceed gross expense, producing a handsome gain and the net, of course, would be tax free. Then again I considered that, encouraging good deeds by feeding that vessel, might be for them another way to cook up business, like a supermarket's loss leader, created for the purpose of improving public image in order to facilitate advantage over rivals competing in other profit centers.

Next I thought something like, why don't I go up to the guy on the corner and suggest he walk over and ask her for some help from her collection. After all, wasn't she a soldier of Christ? However, I didn't do this either. From someplace within me, I knew already the outcome. She didn't have any spare change.

4 comments:

  1. A great post and I do so agree! Hope you get this comment -- I've tried several times, but blogger seems to be having a difficult evening.

    Sylvia

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  2. I'm having the same problem, Sylvia. I spent close to an hour writing a comment but couldn't get it posted--I kept getting a length error message. My comment was fairly long, but no longer than others I've posted here in the past. I had the same problem on a different blog yesterday and the day before. It's good to know I'm not the only one!

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  3. Thats a very interested point, I've never experienced that before, but I think I would have the same point of view. In MN, I work in the metropolis area and the homeless stand on the corner of the freeway exits. Sometimes, there is 2 homeless people on each side of the corner, and I have a hard time figuring out who to donate to, what do you or anyone think you would do?

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  4. You do find the wry angles on the social scene. I also like the angle of the bell photo.

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