Tuesday, May 4, 2010

A Difficult Question

Over the last few days I have been contemplating a difficult question
Should I give money to beggars.
If I am out walking shopping or even waiting at the traffic lights, I am approached by beggars wanting money. Some have children, some are pushed along by their children in carts because they have the lost the use of their legs or their legs have been amputated. Some look sickly while others don't. Some are blind, some are deformed, some say they are sick and need money for medicine. But the one thing is they all want money.
Giving money to beggars is not as simple as it sounds. The beggars here can often work for someone and most of what they collect goes to line the pockets of the rich. So although giving money can make you feel good, it often does nothing for the person and they can still be left hungry. Give them food or medicine and they may get beaten for not collecting money.
So the problem is complex
What made me start on this train of thought is on my way home from language school yesterday I saw an elderly women dead on the street. There was a crowd around her but no one wanted to take responsibility for her. She had no one. What did she die from? If she asked me for money for medicine and I gave would it have helped? If she asked me for money for medicine would I have helped?
It is hard in an environment like Dhaka to know when to give and when to walk away.
I think about what Jesus would have done
What would you do?

No comments:

Post a Comment