Today I joined other members of our Young Marrieds Group serving dinner at the Tri-City Homeless Coalition. We (well, 2 couples actually, but with everyone's blessing and financial assistance) bought and brought lasagnas, salad (w/tomatoes), bread, and cakes, cooked them, and served 'em up. It was a very enjoyable, interesting, and thought-provoking experience. I enjoyed working w/the others in our group to get everything set up -- and we created a very efficient system for serving -- and it was fun to say "hi" and have people smiled as I gave them plates of food. At the same time, I can't help but wonder how they feel about groups like us who come in for a couple hours to serve them dinner and leave again. How would I feel about it if I were homeless? Do they resent us, feel like we just do it to feel good about our "good deed" so we can go back to our cushy lives and feel good about ourselves? Or do they just appreciate someone taking time out to care about someone else? I think it would be really hard for me to have to depend completely on the kindness of others for my daily existence. Is that a failing in me? I don't think it's wrong to say I should be able to take care of myself -- then again, I can't always take care of myself, so maybe it is. As the book I'm currently reading says, humans were created to live in community. Have we become so focused on self-sufficiency that we've lost the concept of community and mutual support? I'm not saying that autonomy is a bad thing -- but how can we balance autonomy and community so that all our needs are met -- not just the physical ones?
Well, I think I've waxed philosophical enough for one night. Comments, feedback, and opinions are of course welcome. I'm off to play Party Monopoly ;). Have a wonderful day/night/whatever it is wherever you are.
Monday, May 31, 2004
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I was always taught the needs of the many are greater the the needs of the one. Where I do believe this in theory, it is hard for me to think that the needs of the society in general are greater then the needs of the one family that through circumstances beyond their control ended up on the street.
We as a socitey must do something to help each other out. We are created for community, as theologian Stanley Grenz says. We need each other to survive.
Less "me" thinking and more "we" thinking.
Thanks for bringing this up babe.
Post a Comment