Feeding the Sheep (and some goats)

Obviously, something has happened that is tripping me up. I am being vague about what happened for a reason. I am reluctant to cast the pearls. In trying to be compassionate, I was taken advantage of. It is discouraging. But it goes with the territory. There is a dark side to this kind of work.

I am guarding against cynicism. Been there, done that. I also don’t want to provide fuel for negative stereotypes and attitudes that are mean-spirited. Here is the dilemma: When you practice compassion you open yourself up to be taken advantage of. So what should you do?

Remember the beds we built for the homeless shelter that were stolen? Many people with nothing and nowhere to go were denied a place to lay their head all for probably $20 worth of crack. Ironically, it was one of the homeless that set up the burglary. How should we react to this?

When serving meals under the bridge, in line are both the truly hungry and needy and the addicts. The meal may actually enable the addicts’ lifestyle. However, it is not always evident who is who, nor is it feasible to only serve the one group. What is one to do?

To not be compassionate is not an option for the Jesus follower. He is sending us out, and he is sending us out like sheep among wolves. Painting all with the same brush, holding stereotypes as if there were no exceptions, or harboring simplistic, negative attitudes are just cognitive justifications to be mean. We need to be innocent and gentle. But we also need to be shrewd and cunning.

This means we continue to build beds for homeless shelters as a way of showing compassion to those at the lowest level of our society. We do this knowing the goats will mingle with the sheep. Some crackheads will sleep in those beds, but so will some disable people with cannot take care of themselves and have no one to care for them and no place to go. Only we need to be smart about it – we bolt the beds to the floor.

This means we continue to provide meals under the bridge, knowing that in order to feed the sheep, we will also feed some goats.

This means we provide for the poor, we just don’t give cash and we work with an agency with a track record.

There is a question on an intelligence test for children that goes something like this: Why is it better to give money to an organized charity than to a beggar on the street? Children get this.

What about trust? When do you take a chance? Do you err toward compassion or toward protecting yourself? How do you find the proper balance? It is all theoretical until you step out and try it.