This week, as I sit in a Bible study, the topic of charity comes up. Someone says she never gives money if someone looks like a drug addict, or she thinks the person does not truly need the money.
My soul screams, “NO! ’Do not judge, least you be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’ (Matthew 7:1-2). When we start using our judgement to gage someone else’s need, we abandon God and start serving ourselves. We will use any and all justifications to not give to others. ’The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9)”
In an instant, I am transported back in time.
Many years ago, I lived in another country. On the weekend, I frequently went to the beach. As my mom and I were sitting in the shade, an elderly man with a guitar approached us and started singing. I was amazed at this man’s wit and creativity. At the end of the short ditty, the man asked for money. I told my mom not to give the man any money. I said, “Everyone in the country comes to this beach to beg from tourists and “rich” Americans. They are always trying to get money from us.”
We declined to pay the man anything. He continued on down the beach and sang to more Americans and tourists.
The next weekend, my university hosted a community health clinic. The event took place in a remote mountain village. When we arrived, there was a line several hours long. Although the country had free health care, the medical services were extremely limited. The basic services we offered such as blood pressure checks, eye exams and breast exams were a more comprehensive evaluation than most of the people received from their medical providers.
In the afternoon, the director and I went out into the village to see if anyone else wanted to come to the clinic. As we meandered, a country-wide bus stopped a few feet from us. An elderly man staggered off the bus. The director asked the man if he wanted to come to the clinic.
In an instant, I recognized the man. It was the gentleman from the weekend before. But instead of being bubbly and very talkative, the man seemed extremely confused and mumbled his words.
I quickly asked the man what was wrong. He told me he ran out of insulin last week Friday. He did not have the $30 to pay for his medicine. Instantly, I was overwhelmed with grief. I realized the man had traveled last weekend (and most likely this weekend as well) to the beach to beg for money so that he could purchase his insulin.
Immediately, I broke all cultural etiquette and social norms. I grabbed the man’s hand and told him to come with me.
I slowly led the man on the mountain road. I placed myself next to the steep ravine drop-off and had the man walk in the road as I was scared if the man stumbled, he would fall to his death.
When we arrived at the community clinic, I took the man straight to the blood glucose station, skipping the check-in process and the 30 minute wait. I took the man’s blood sugar. The meter would not give a numeric reading. It simply said “ketones”. I took the man by the hand along with his blood sugar readout to a local doctor who was giving consults to the community members.
I told the doctor, “This is my friend. He has diabetes. He has not taken any insulin since last week because he could not afford the medicine. Please take good care of him.”
And with that, I handed off my dear friend to the local physician. I have no idea what happened. With the man’s blood sugar being extremely high and being in diabetic ketoacidosis, he should have gone to the hospital and should have received immediate medical intervention. It is a tricky process to lower a person’s blood sugar and requires a lot of blood work and careful monitoring. However, I have no idea if the man was ever transported to the hospital, or if the hospital was able to safely lower the man’s blood sugar. There is a real possibility, the man may have died.
Moral of the story: If you ever have someone ask you for money, PLEASE GIVE! You never know why they may need the money. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16). Moreover, if you refuse to give because you think they are not worthy of your cash, please know your hard heart may kill the person.
To this day, I still cry when I think about this man, and my erroneous belief that he did not need my money. I may well have killed the man. And that is extremely hard to live with. “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away” (Matthew 5:42).
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