In response to the article gracing a recent Sunday edition titled, “On a mission for self reliance:” First, let me say that the ‘general public’ (which is actually code for what most consider the dregs of our society which frequent the mission) have talked, and we have decided that in the same sense of community responsibility, we agree to not eat Saturdays and Sundays.
If our children happen to complain, we will let them know that they should be proud of their service and ignore the growling noises.
I’m sorry, but I read The Bible on a regular basis – I have yet to find anything that relates to enabling the poor or hungry, and nothing even remotely close to whether we can handle simple tasks.
I did find quite a few passages that guide us to lift up the weak, the poor, the homeless, the hungry…but no mention of cooking skills. Nor was I able to find any mention of a Christian charity being accountable to anything or anyone else except God and the Word of God.
Perhaps you are correct. On top of the stresses of drug addiction, alcohol and rampant FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – essentially locking the mental development of members of the ‘general public’ to about thirteen years old), harassment and intimidation while eating by RCMP, and mental health issues…taking away two days of food is probably for the best.
Shame on you! Members of the community are not stockholders in the mission business. I would venture to say the majority of the members of our community who give so generously never once think they should have a say in when and why people will be fed or not fed. They give out of the kindness of their hearts, and hopefully always will. The Bible says we should feed, clothe and lift the weak and poor up; not try to decide what is best for them.
I am sure you have the best of intentions, but when Christ performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, he did not instruct his disciples to go and judge whether the poor had a mistaken belief they were entitled, or to judge whether they lacked basic skills. Christ simply said he had compassion for those who were in need of food, and saw that they were fed.
In closing, most of us in the ‘general public’ who frequent the mission have belief in God, and faith. It is all we have sometimes in the darkness of our lives, whether we admit it or not.
I would think that if the mission really wants to communicate something, it would be your own faith that as servants of God you need only to feed, clothe and succor the hopeless and homeless – God will handle the rest, and without missing any meals in the process. It is not just about food. The meals the mission serves foster a sense of community, it is a momentary safe haven in a dangerous world, and it is an opportunity to offer further help to someone who may be silently crying out for it.
Our problems don’t go away on the weekends.
Anonymous
