Our Generation Must Change the World
I'm trying to kept a promise I made to someone in India when I was there a few weeks ago. So I'm in Edinburgh this afternoon on church business meeting people at the central church offices. Its a busy place, even more so just at the end of the Festival. Its a cold damp lunchtime. I walk along George Street and suddenly I realise I've just walked past a beggar who was sitting on the street outside a restaurant. I was past him before it registered. Then you have this struggle in your head. Should I give him money or do I just ignore his plight. I mean no one sits in a wet damp street begging unless they're desperate. You think, to yourself, what is a pound to me? Nothing in my economy. So I walk on window shopping before my next appointment.
Within seconds I was looking at a pair of boots I quite liked, they cost over £100.00. The beggar and his plight was no longer in my mind. I didn't buy the boots, didn't have my wallet with me. As I turned to head back to the church offices I passed the beggar and put a £1.00 in his Starbucks paper cup. He said "thank you" as I walked past. I had probably just helped him buy his next fix. Now I'm thinking, "did I do the right thing"?
Solving issues is never easy. I can't remember seeing beggars on the street when I was was growing up. However I do remember the odd tramp at the door. There used to be a guy who walked about St George's Cross, I think we called him Skipper. I always remember he had a ginger coloured beard and a rope tied round his waist to hold his coat closed.
I'm wondering if in fact we're now actually going backwards. What kind of society have we become? I guess the drug culture has changed everything. More and more people are experimenting with alcohol and drugs and as a result we are finding there are more casualties. I find I need to continually remind myself that there are needy people in Scotland just as much as in other places in the world.
I started writing this post on the street in George Street on Friday. Its now Sunday evening. In a few moments I hope to be in my bed, I'm still thinking about the man begging on the street and his cardboard cup.
In my sermon this morning I mentioned the phrase in the Lord's Prayer, "Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" It reminds me that God expects us to fight for justice in the present. His Kingdom is not a future tense but a present tense. I guess that means we are all responsible to bring about change in our world. Did I change the world with my pound? Maybe I did, but was it for better or worse?
Posted By: James Hogg On: 10 Sep 2009 At: 7:32pm
When I was at university a friend of mine went to St George’s-Tron in Glasgow and since he had go through city centre after dark at night he would always be prepared and buy a sandwich at the bus station so he could give it to a homeless person.