My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.
― John Lennon (1940-1980) English singer, songwriter, musician, peace activist and founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles
One morning on my way to work, I was driving the “scenic” route. It is a narrow, hilly, curvy, two-lane road through a neighborhood. As I rounded a turn, there was a woman and her dog in the middle of the street. The dog was on a leash and she had obviously been walking him. They had stopped and she was frantically looking toward the other side of the road. My gaze followed hers to the left. In a driveway, almost in the street was a kitten.
I had stopped and then I noticed the car coming from the other direction had also stopped. The woman then dropped the dog leash and ran toward the kitten to rescue it lest it ran into the street. All the traffic had stopped, we were not going to harm a dog, a woman, or a kitten. Amused, I looked at the dog in the middle of the street with the leash on the ground and the woman on the side of the road. The dog’s expression was calm, maybe sanguine, as he stood there and then slowly walked a few steps out of my lane so I could continue my journey to work.
The lady was not worried about the dog I suppose. He could take care of himself and was big enough for any driver to easily see. She abandoned the dog to rescue the kitten. I thought in that moment there must be a story or moral there. My first thought was the Bible story of the ninety and nine sheep. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep to rescue the one.
It seems instinctual to rescue what is in the most immediate danger. The dog could take of himself for a few moments, but the kitten could not.
Can there be a parallel with people? Should we not rescue the most vulnerable, the helpless . . . those unable to fend for themselves? Is that neglecting others at their expense? I don’t think so.
The Needs of Others
In my view, there is nothing wrong with helping those who need assistance. We should not criticize them and question how they got in the circumstances to need help. We should not blame them and insist they got that way because they made bad decisions. In the moment, those things don’t matter. Like the lady leaving the dog in the street to rescue the kitten, it did not matter why the kitten was on the side of the road. The fact is that the kitten was there—in danger. The lady made a split-second decision to leave the dog and rescue the kitten.
Some people work hard and never amass a fortune. They make barely enough to survive. Some people can’t afford higher education or extensive training in a field. Some people have a limited mental capacity. Should they be punished—or, thought less of?
I am reminded of the time my employer (a church) made the decision to cut several positions because of money issues. I was suddenly without a job. It wasn’t my fault. I was not involved in the decision. I realized at that time, people can and do fall into need. It can happen to anyone, at anytime, for almost any reason . . . sometimes it is random and unexpected.
After that, every time I see someone on the side of the street needing help, I see my face. That could just as easily be me as them. Sometimes we are lucky that we don’t become penniless or homeless. And, I believe luck has some to do with it . . . not on the worthiness of people. Several synonyms for needy are: unlucky, unfortunate, ill-fated, down and out, and down on your luck.
These expressions do not place blame. Neither should we. Instead, we should be thankful for what we have and reach out to those who need our help.
The world would be better if we all could experience just a little bit of other people’s experiences.
― Phil Rosenthal (b. 1960) American television writer and producer
Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.
― Saint Augustine (354-430) theologian and philosopher
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