ABOVE: IT HAS
BECOME ALL TOO EASY TO IGNORE THOSE IN NEED AROUND US
WHEN HELPING
CAN BE EASY AND REWARDING
Is there no room for compassion in our world? A lot of people I know actually perceive compassion as a weakness and think that a compassionate, giving person is easily exploited. Do you think so too? If we all thought like that, wouldn’t that drive our world into emotional and moral bankruptcy and a completely detached existence? Is that what we really want? I know, I’m asking a lot of questions, but only because I try to understand what goes on in the minds of those who can just walk by a homeless person, some people even get upset or even aggressive. Some would shout, “Get a job!” – why is that?
Begging is problematic - all too many of us assume a beggar will spend any charity on drink or drugs but isn’t this just an excuse? Admittedly, not every person who asks deserves what they are asking for but if you use your common sense, intuition and humanitarian instincts, you can surely distinguish who needs and deserves your help. It is much too easy to turn your head and walk on by. Don’t we have a moral obligation to help someone in need – especially when that person’s immediate needs are but a fraction of what we have at our disposal? Can you blame a homeless person for being an alcoholic when that is the cheapest way to numb your mind and body from the endless suffering he or she endures? Maybe we should all take time to imagine what life is like without the basic things, like a roof over your head, a warm meal and elementary
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hygiene. If you’ve lost everything, what do you have left? How can anyone feel good, walking into a shopping mall, ignoring those whose address is the sidewalk, a different sidewalk every day. From personal experience I know it is true that if you give you will receive – and most of the time so much more than what you gave. We cannot give cynically, however, because what you receive in return for your giving will not always be in kind. What I’m talking about is almost like an addiction, those profound, good feelings that warm your heart when you know that you have done something good for someone else – selflessly. Being a decent person holds so many rewards; one of them is how your environment perceives you. Would you want to be the cold-hearted businessman or woman who thinks in dollar signs or do you want to be the person who makes plenty and shares plenty? Don’t you want to bring a little bit of justice, a little bit of relief, a little bit of hope to those who you see suffering? I sure know that’s what I want to be a part of - making things better!
Also, there is no “easy way out” – Please don’t misunderstand my thoughts and suggestions as demanding you send a cheque to some huge humanitarian organisation. Do so, if you feel it is the best way to help but be aware that only a fraction of what you send will actually serve those who need it most. I’m not an expert on the mechanisms of professional charity, but
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