T’is the season to be jolly, but the spirit of Scrooge seems to be looming in the air. As long as there is poverty in the world there will always be a need to help those less fortunate, and those that know me well know that it’s my passion and calling to help the poor; and given the economy there is an even greater need. However, I’m finding that people are also using the economy as a reason not to help those less fortunate and it makes me sick!
Rewind to the 1930s during the Great Depression. People didn’t just leave each other hanging, they came together to help each other out. Whether it was by lending a cup of sugar to a neighbor, or watching their neighbor’s children while their parents tried to look for work, they helped in any way they could. National programs were even created to ensure that everyone could get a meal. What happened to the days of literally giving someone in need the shirt off your back? What happened to sacrifice for the sake of others’ happiness?
Fast-forward to 2009 and everyone is choosing selfishness. So what if I’ve got a whole loaf and my neighbor only needs a slice of bread? So what if I’ve got $10 and my friend needs fifty-cents? The excuse of the day is “the economy.” I can’t give to church because of the economy. I can’t volunteer because of the economy. But you can still get your biweekly manipedi’s despite the economy, right? And you can still afford to buy your daily lottery ticket, $8 pack of cigarettes, and liquor right? Call me a b!tch, but I think that’s selfish.
In a way, it’s to be expected. Selfishness is what got us in this mess in the first place. People wanted to make more and more money no matter the cost, and now we’re suffering the consequences. Many innocent people are suffering the consequences, many of these people were poor before the economy took a turn for the worse, and as a result of a lack of aid they’ve been pushed further into dire poverty.
But the cycle needs to be broken. Isn’t the golden rule to treat others the way you would want to be treated? I recently held two collection drives- one collecting food for a pantry that is quickly running out of funds and food, and another collecting toys for a shelter. I barely got any donations. You would think I asked people for a kidney! It just angers me that people are so selfish. I didn’t ask for much, I literally just asked for a canned good from your pantry, or even a toy from a dollar store. Nothing.
I know someone who’s been unemployed for over a year who still tithes at church, gives to charity, would literally give the shirt off his back if it would help someone, and he’s living in the same economy that we are. So there is still hope that we can break this cycle of selfishness, if not for our the sake of humanity, then because of the economy.
