Give Humanity

A story of how a handful of french fries transformed my view on homelessness forever.

Second attempt at a serious blog post, and I am going to keep it real with you all. I have been thinking greatly about what to write about next, and a particular story failed to leave my mind. BUT before I tell you this story that changed my outlook on homelessness forever, I will first tell you a story of a selfish and overfed American.

Bolivia is a magical place. A beautiful country full of amazing people, each with their own stories of resilience and of tragedy. If you walk through the streets, you will likely walk past someone begging.

I spent my whole summer in the Bolivian winter last year and I often ventured downtown to get my favorite food: Pollo Copacabana (it is great, I literally dreamed about it earlier this week, I have even debated buying a plane ticket just to go back to get a meal there (jokes)). I was too cheap to pay the minibus fare to get there, (which was probably the equivalent of like 50 cents...smh) so I would walk.

As I passed the multitudes of people experiencing homelessness, I may have given them some spare change or the rest of my breakfast from earlier that morning. This part didn't feel hard, there was no real cost to me in handing out some loose change or stale bread. However, the walk home is where I began to feel a ridiculous moral dilemma.

Walking home, fries in hand, I would see people begging and I would look down at my handful of fries. A voice in my head would say, "I just bought these. I have been craving them all day. I worked so hard today. I'm already giving so much, I have the right to enjoy these." Then another one would argue, "Ryan, you have everything you could need. Those fries cost you a few dollars. This person is starving, are you really that selfish?!"

The second voice in my head would win, I would hand over the rest of my fries. After this happened a few times, I noticed that I began to inhale my fries as fast as possible when walking home. Apparently, this was my solution. If I don't have any fries when I get there, I won't have anything to share. Eventually, I realized what was going on in my heart and I was disgusted. I wouldn't want anyone to know how tight-fisted I was being with FRENCH FRIES.

French fries? Really?! It is honestly so ridiculous. But I think we all have things that we want to hold on to. There are things that prevent each of us from giving at times.

(The selfish and overfed American is me if you didn't pick up on that).

"The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." - Proverbs 22:9

It can be hard to see so many people who are in such great need daily. Would my french fries really make a difference? No, they really wouldn't. But I needed to work on my heart. I think that the whole situation made me feel completely overwhelmed, though. I see these people begging every. single. day. I can't help these people, I don't have enough to make a difference. Well, I was wrong, yet again.

It was a chilly Bolivian night. I sat outside at a cute little café downtown watching all the people passing me by. There was a woman outside the café begging. She walked up to a group of four woman who were clearly a lot better off. She got their attention briefly as they paused their discussion.

One woman looked at her and began to rummage through her purse a little to find some spare change, then quickly moved on to laughing and engaging with her friends again. The begging woman, hat extended, continued to wait patiently for a coin.

The four women never gave her any change. But what was even more heartbreaking is that this woman was completely alone. The bitter reality of this woman's situation came into clear view. To those four women, she was not human. She was not significant or worth their time. She was a bother. At best, a sad story to tell at dinner. Watching this play out in real time changed me.

The begging woman lacked a lot more than money. She lacked connection. She lacked relationships. She lacked equality. People walk by her daily and probably never have a real conversation with her. I thought I only had a handful of french fries to give, but in reality I had so much more. I could give human connection. I could give love. I could ask "What's your name? How has your day been?" I could make someone feel important again.

"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed." - Mark 1:40-43

The simplicity of touch. Jesus healed this man, but he also touched him. He made him a human worthy of interaction. So often, walking by the materially poor was just another moral dilemma for me. I was literally in Bolivia to serve the materially poor, and yet I missed the big picture.

Do you think Jesus would give money or food to those who were begging? Yes. But the more important question is how would he do it? Do you imagine him passing by and merely dropping in a handful of change? I don't.

Jesus often found ways to meet these physical needs, but not without engaging. Mark 1:40-43 is only one of many examples in the Bible. Read Acts 3:6-10, even Peter was faced with this dilemma. He stated that he didn't have money to give, but he healed the beggar and glorified God in doing so.

There is a lot of literature out there that debates whether or not giving people experiencing homelessness money is truly helpful in the long run. People can argue about this point all day long. I can engage in this debate with my strong and well-supported opinion, but I really should be asking, do I really care? If you think giving money is enabling, then don't give them money. That is your choice. But don't use your perspective as an excuse to do nothing at all. If you don't think money is the answer, then figure out what is.

Do some research about the resources for individuals experiencing homelessness in your local area. Maybe buy them a bus pass that can take them to the local homeless shelter that will meet all their needs. Have a conversation with them about their life over a meal. Invite them to church, into your home, to your small group, etc.

Most importantly, like Peter, show them the glory of God. Treat your fellow human being like a human being. There definitely is value to the research and articles about the best practices to serving the materially poor. Read them, get educated, form an opinion. But don't stop there. Whatever you decide is best, do it. And do it with love, care and thoughtfulness. Don't be like Ryan with a fistful of fries and a heart full of greed. Be like Jesus, a man who didn't see people for their circumstances, but rather saw them for who they were inside.

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." - Luke 14:13-14