What About All Those Panhandlers?

Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 

Matthew 10:16

What do we do about panhandlers?   I understand that in some parts of the world that this is the best people can do because of the extreme poverty which grips their society.  In these cases, I say give them a coin or two.

However, here in the United States in the last ten years or so there has been a proliferation of people begging.  Some people make a career of panhandling by standing on the same street corners every day with signs that say “will work for food.”  These folks are counting on getting cash not a job.  Then there are the beggars who think we will not know they are beggars.  They are nice looking young people prowling around mall parking lots begging.  All of them have the same speech, “Oh… I am out of gas and I can’t get my daddy on the phone….  I really need to get to work.  Will you help me?  Please. Please.  Please.” 

One attitude we can take is that the best way to help these folks is by not helping them.  However, the shrewdest thing to do is to carry a few cans of food in the car and hand them a can of food with a note directing them to a place which provides free meals and services to the poor.  Those in great need will take our offer of free food and advice and those in not such need will keep on keeping on.

And, to clarify I am not talking about people who receive government assistance to live.  They are doing what is right by their families.  I would never deny anyone access to food or shelter.  There are many church funded food banks which provide free food and help to fill the food shortages families sometimes face.  These are great places to make a donation.

Shrewd as a serpents and innocent as doves, we can show God’s love.