It's happened to me, it's happened to you, it happens to everyone. You're walking by yourself or with friends and suddenly you are confronted with THE QUESTION, "Hey buddy, can you spare a dime", (adjusted for inflation of course). Quickly you try to assess as much as you can about this person and instinctively initiate maneuvering thrusters for a graceful detour.
As a child growing up in a REALLY small town I understood that the homeless problem was self-inflicted, and that they were suffering because of their own behavior. "If they really wanted to get their lives back together they would get a job, or quit drinking, or stay away from drugs". I believed that for a long time and who knows maybe it was true at one point, in any case I felt justified in gracefully detouring around anyone asking for help. When I got a bit older, I began to realize that there was more to the issue of homelessness, and eventually I took a more humane view of the problem. It is true that drinking and drugs may be involved, but only sometimes, and like everything else today it's a complicated issue. I've accepted the presence of the homeless (which in itself probably warrants additional thought) and I no longer employ the tactic of avoidance.
The fact is that I can help, albeit in an incredibly small way, by treating the person with respect and offering them a little bit of encouragement. After all I have been blessed in so many ways, and their life is hard enough without someone adding to their misery. As Matthew 25:31-40 makes clear, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me". Jesus didn't put me on the earth to judge others, and so I don't worry about what my help will be used for; instead I hand them a dollar or two (or a power bar) and say, "God bless you and be careful". He uses these opportunities for my benefit, and when He gives me the chance to share I try to look at the homeless person in front of me and see Jesus in their eyes.
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