Who are we to judge?

Day 5 - 15th April 2010

Sometimes work is so busy that in the rush of the whole day there's no time to think of anything else other than getting work done. In the rush of it all, we tend to forget about others, about the relationships we have with one another, about the cleaner who sits alone in the cafe.

Thursday was like that.

It was hectic. I worked late. Came home late and all I could think of was just melting into the chair.

Project of love was somewhere in my head but I was drained.

I didn't fulfill Day 5.

Sometimes, all it takes is to stop and say hi. It might not make a difference to you, but it might make a difference to the other person.

How many "cleaners" have you said hi to today?

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Since I didn't fulfill Day 5, I thought I might share a little something extra.

I went to Connect group on Wednesday and we were talking about missions, but in particular reference to homeless people.

In melbourne, there are a lot of homeless people around asking for money on the streets. They usually look dirty, ragged, and sometimes drunk.

I never give them money because I've always had the assumption that they would spend it on drugs and alcohol. That I would feed into the vicious cycle they're living in.

Sometimes, they would come and ask for a few gold coins to "fund a meal or a place for them to stay for the night". I've always felt that if you had 2 hands and 2 feet, you were fully able to fend for yourself and find a job if you worked hard enough. That they didn't seem to care and were contented to live in their current state was only their downfall.

I guess thats my biggest mistake.

Who am I to judge them?

"Is it fair to walk pass the homeless man and give him nothing in the assumption that he would spent it on booze or cigarettes or suggest that he should go out and get a job?

Who are we to judge the alcoholic, or the prostitute or the addict as if we were any better?"

I didn't live their lives, I didn't know what they had and were going through. I did not know whether they had tried to find a job, tried to quit drugs or alcohol but failed and were just needing some encouragement...or a few gold coins to tide the day till they succeed.

What would Jesus do?


He'd never have judged.

There are no right and wrongs to how you can help somebody. If you're comfortable with giving a gold coin, so be it. I'm still hesitant but I've decided that the best way to help them is to offer them a meal if ever they asked for money.

I would say this now instead of walking pass them like they don't exist:
"I don't have a gold coin but I would love to buy you a meal".

Will tell you when I do it! =)

On a side note, I stumbled onto this picture which was how I felt initially and thought it was quite funny.