You Don't Know Jack
From the December 2005 issue of Christianity Today:
A guy approached Jack on the street one day and asked if he could spare a few shillings. Jack immediately dove into his pocket, brought out all his change, and handed it to this beggar. The chap he was with--I think it was Tolkien--said, "Jack, you shouldn't have given that fellow all that money; he'll just spend it on drink." Jack said, "Well, if I had kept it, I would have only spent it on drink."
-Douglas Gresham, giving an example of one small way in which his stepfather, C.S. Lewis, lived out his faith.
From the December 2005 issue of Christianity Today:
A guy approached Jack on the street one day and asked if he could spare a few shillings. Jack immediately dove into his pocket, brought out all his change, and handed it to this beggar. The chap he was with--I think it was Tolkien--said, "Jack, you shouldn't have given that fellow all that money; he'll just spend it on drink." Jack said, "Well, if I had kept it, I would have only spent it on drink."
-Douglas Gresham, giving an example of one small way in which his stepfather, C.S. Lewis, lived out his faith.
posted by trawlerman at 7:35 AM
4 Comments:
Ha. I don't know if that's a sufficiently compelling argument for always giving to beggars on the street, but it's definitely a funny anecdote and—more importantly—one that makes me think about charitable giving in a new light.
It's a nice little story.
What's the point, that we should charitably give an an alcoholic made homeless by his addiction a few bucks for a fifth of cheap gin to further eat away at his despondant liver?
I'll buy him a cheese steak.
Proverbs 31:6-7 (King James Version)
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
I don't believe in any such thing as "alcoholism." It's an invention of the last century. The Bible speaks of drunkenness, but never of any "disease."
But that's another post, and I'm finding myself lacking the energy necessary for online controversy.
I think that the point of the anecdote is that we are hasty to assume what this or that homeless man will do with money we give to him. Or, as in your comment, assume that it was an addiction that caused his poverty.
And, that, even were this homeless man to use the money for a bottle, what had you intended to do with the money? Gone to the pub to drink with friends and read selections from your new novel? Gone to Media Play for the sixth time to buy more discounted DVDs? Paid for the next month of Internet service? Bought a bottle of Laphroaig? Why are these luxuries more important than giving to a man who has nothing? Would you justify yourself by quickly glossing over things, saying, "He'd only spend it on drink." How do you know? And why should it matter? You'd only spend it on drink, or nickel and dime it away for pleasures at the convenience store.
Quite honestly, if I ever become destitute of family and friends and all creature comforts, I, too, may prefer a fifth of cheap gin over a cheese steak.
I'm not really arguing. What this comment thread really needs is a detailed account of what the Bible says about the poor, and how others are to treat the poor and give to the poor. I am incapable of doing that in a few minutes in the morning, so it'll never get done here.
Ultimately, as far as the post goes, I agree with Steve, that the quote is not a "sufficiently compelling argument for always giving to beggars on the street, but it's definitely a funny anecdote," and that's the only reason that I posted it, because when I first read it, it made me chuckle.
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