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How Should A Christian Handle Panhandlers?
By: Pastor Peter Schlicht
Caring for the poor is not difficult to understand, but it can be difficult to do in our modern context. God’s people often feel this tension when it comes to panhandlers begging on the street corners of Madison. In a perfect world, those on the side of the road would be using the money they receive to seek a sustainable future of dignified work. The unfortunate reality is that many are and many are not. Often what they want is not always what they should receive, for their best interest. How do we responsibly, and yet lovingly, handle their requests?
Should we assume they are all addicted to heroin and alcohol and not give them anything? …Because some of them will use the money to continue their substance abuse. Should we assume they just want to continue living on handouts and tell them to get a job? …Because some of them should be more actively seeking employment. Should we assume they are all telling the truth and give them money every time we see them? …Because many of them are telling the truth and using the money responsibly. I think it’s obvious, assumptions simply will not do. We are not God; it is impossible for us to guess their heart in the 15 seconds we’re sitting at a red light. So what should we do?
Well, let’s apply the principles of God’s Word. We are commanded to help the less-fortunate, loving them even as our own selves. So if you were in their situation, what would you want? As a Christian child of God, what would you want for yourself? Would you want more money to continue your dependance on a substance? No, I might ask for it in the moment, but it wouldn’t be good for me. Would you want some privileged person who knows nothing about your challenges to say “Get a job!”, as if it’s the first time you’ve ever heard of such a novel suggestion? Definitely not. I would propose something different.
A Humble Suggestion: Before anything else, say a prayer for them. That is the most useful thing you can ever do, regardless of what you give them.
The second thing might be to prepare a small paper bag with some ready-to-eat food, like granola bars, and some on-the-go hygienic items. Being clean and fed are basic needs which help to protect a person’s dignity and cannot usually be misused. I might also include a Bible verse or devotional message about Jesus, along with contact numbers for local social service agencies such as the United Way.
The third suggestion is to give, out of love for God, to a social service program or Eastside’s First Loved Fund. The truth is that many times we aren’t able to help these people like we’d like to in the few seconds we have at a stop sign. What they most need is someone to have an actual relationship with them and to share the love of Jesus. They need accountability and protection from temptations. And many times those aren’t options you will be able to provide. I would suggest, that just as the ancient Israelites were to leave food for the poor that they might be able to have the dignity to gather it themselves (Deuteronomy 24), that your money is better given to social service institutions, which helps the less fortunate find work and housing, rather than straight to an individual on the street.
Eastside Lutheran Church and School is certainly not a social service agency, but we do oversee the “First Loved” Fund. (Name based on 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.”) This fund is managed by a committee which meets with member and non-member applicants—person to person—seeking to help towards a sustainable future. The greatest goal, however, is to share the love of Jesus and invite them into our family here at church. Applicants with false motives are turned away, but those who are willing to receive real help are considered and have received resources and advice. So far in 2019, we have been privileged to work with 12 people.
God bless your consideration of how to love fellow souls in need,
Pastor Schlicht
