Can You Spare Some Grace?

A child of God

For the past two years now I have lived or worked in the city. From the fall of 2003 til the summer of 2004 I lived and worked in New York City. From the fall of 2004 til the summer of 2005 I worked in downtown Cincinnati. Now in the fall of 2005 I work and live in downtown Birmingham. There is a common thread with each of these cities where I have spent consider time living and working. What links each of these urban cities is the huge number of homeless people that dwell on the streets and sidewalks. So today's post is an education for those who live and work in the suburbs that have no idea what I am talking about. The only times residents of the wealthy subdivision see homeless people are in the movies, but to those who live downtown the interaction with the homeless is a daily experience. Sadly, the most callous treatment of the homeless comes from surbanite Christians who think the homeless are just faking it or just lazy addicts. Again, today's post is an education.

I currently live on the campus of UAB located in the Five Points South area of downtown Birmingham. I encounter the homeless every time I venture to Starbucks for a cup of coffee or to Jim-N-Nick's for the best grilled catfish. It has been growing experience for me. At first I had to fight the urge taught to me by society of just ignoring their pleas for change, but after giving change the first couple times it felt good to give these people whatever I had on me. Most times it's a dollar or two, but sometimes I have a $5. It's tempting to break the $5 up at the restaurant and then give him or her the dollar, but I now hand over the $5 without much thought. I even had the bizarre opportunity to pay for a homeless man's Subway footlong. Though he ordered the sub before he asked me to pay, but whatever.

Why do we as Christians hesitate to give change to the homeless who ask us? Am I the only one to have struggled with this feeling? First, the individual must stop looking at the big picture of homelessness. It may seem like my giving of change are futile efforts that do nothing to solve the problems that cause homelessness. True, but as an individual I am not responsible for coming up with grand solutions to end homelessness. It is the responsibility of the Church as a unified whole to develop productive programs that help bring an end to homelessness. The homeless themselves are not looking for well constructed programs to help them out of poverty. The homeless are just trying to make it to the next day. So if my little amount of change can get them a small bite or drink that helps them make it to next day, then I feel my futile efforts have purpose.

Second, we must deny the temptation to wonder what they might do with our change. Most people deny the homeless their change because they fear it might be used to buy drugs or alcohol. The idea that the change would go to drugs it pretty silly because most hard drugs are pretty expensive and not within the homeless man's budget. The worry it might go to alcohol is more reasonable. Right or wrong, my brother had an interesting observation to my change possibly going to alcohol, "when you have to sleep on the cold concrete, it's nice have a drink to keep you warm." Regardless of my worries it's really none of my business what the homeless do with the money. Once the hotel gives me my paycheck it's no longer their money and it is none of their business how I spend my paycheck. The same is true with the money I give to the homeless. Once the money leaves my hand it becomes their money and none of my business. I hope they choose a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger over a bottle of Jack Daniels, but I can't make the choices for them. I can only try to help them get to the next day.

Third, we worry too much that we might get taken advantage of. What if they are faking it? What if they are lying to me? What if they are trying to trick me? All I have to say to such questions is, So What? If a homeless person lies or takes advantage of you, then so what? Let me ask you a question now. Either regrettably or shamefully, how many times have you taken advantage of the grace of Christ? How many times have you given into your selfish desires thinking you could use the grace of Christ clean up any mess left behind? How many times a day do you abuse the grace of Christ for the sake of your pride or lust? If Christ were merely human, then he would cut off the supply to grace a long time ago. But thankfully he is also divine and embodies the divine unconditional love of God. Thankfully we are made in the image of God and also posses the ability to express the divine unconditional love we do not deserve.

So this coming week I encourage those who live in the city to change their ideas about the giving of change to the homeless. Think of it not as giving change, but as giving grace. If God grants us more grace than we deserve, then how can we deny the homeless who are the most void of grace. For those living in the suburbs I encourage to visit the downtown and have your stereotypes completely blown away. Some might label downtown as nothing more than a wretched jungle, but the homeless call it home. Some might think of the homeless as lazy animals, but I tend to think of the homeless as children of God. As children of God I find both of us asking Christ, can you spare some grace?


CJE


Coming Next Week: Losing The Love Of Your Life

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The Hypocrisy of War Crimes

The only war criminal?

Well Saddam is finally having his day in court...almost. In watching Saddam now stand trail for his crimes against humanity I begin to see how war crimes are very subjective. Who determines what a war crime is? Who prosecutes war criminals? It is always the victor who determines the definition of a war crime. The victor always prosecutes the war criminal. Never is the victor accused of war crimes. It's true that Saddam is a war criminal, but is he the only guilty one? Is America capable of committing war crimes? Has America already committed war crimes? Or because we are always the victors does the idea of American war crimes seem impossible?

From the genocide of the Indians to Abu Grab prison, there are plenty of American war crimes to choose from. For the sake of time I have chosen to mention just one. Those who lived and fought in WW II have become known as "the greatest generation". The liberation of Europe and the Jews are noble accomplishments, but it is the end of the war in Japan that taints the greatest generation. Some of the greatest generation helped to produce the greatest war crime in the dropping of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

My intention is not to be offensive, but in regards to Hiroshima and Nagasaki it is time to call a spade a spade. First, the whole idea that the atomic bomb spared 1 million U.S. troops from dying in an invasion of Japan is pure fiction. As a history major I've come to learn about the fire bombing campaign that preceded Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The fire bombing of Tokyo killed over 100,000 people in one night. Japan was not a supreme force in August of 1945, but a nation engulfed in flames. Japan's back was already broken before Hiroshima and Nagasaki were subjected to the intense nuclear heat of the atomic bomb.

Second, what was the purpose of the atomic bomb? It was used to bring about the unconditional surrender of Japan. Few realize that not even this goal was accomplished. Yes, Japan did surrender to the U.S. shortly after the bombs were dropped, but only on the condition that they could keep their emperor in power. The U.S. agreed thus negating the whole concept of unconditional surrender. If the bombs didn't achieve unconditional surrender, then why use them in the first place?

Third, where were the bombs dropped? Yes, Hiroshima and Nagasaki did have military installations, but the majority of the cities were made up of civilians. The bombs were not dropped on some airport runway, but right in the heart of the metropolitan area. Imagine mothers taking their kids to and from school. Fathers going to and from work. Children outside playing. Then in an instant whole families are not only killed, but vaporized. Does the cost of civilian life in Hiroshima and Nagasaki really seem worth the price of using the atomic bomb?

Fourth, what does an atomic bomb do? For those who are interested I suggest taking a refresher course in physics. The atomic bomb is able to split atoms that result in a release of extreme heat. It is basically releasing the surface of the sun on its intended target. People aren't just killed by an atomic bomb, they are vaporized. I am still haunted by seeing pictures of a person's silhouette being burned into the concrete. The atomic bomb also releases intense radiation which can lead to all kinds of cancer. This is not a weapon of war, but a weapon the worst kind of evil.

Fifth, if one atomic bomb does horrific damage, then why use two? Did one bomb not cause enough damage? The worst part of the end of WWII is that we dropped two atomic bombs on a nation already on fire. Was the second bomb just for good measure? A just-in- case bomb? Even if you believe that one atomic bomb isn't a war crime, then the U.S. is convicted on the account of the second bomb. If the defeat of Hitler is our greatest moment, the second atomic bomb is our worst.

Sorry for the downer post, but it is time for America to look in the mirror when it prosecutes guilty war criminals like Saddam. Also, we can expect nations like Iran to give up nuclear weapons if we hold on to our nukes. We can't change the past so I'm not suggesting we prosecute war criminals for a crime that is 60yrs old, but an apology would be nice. An asking for forgiveness would help. An end to production of nuclear weapons would be a step in the right direction. Again, the purpose of this post was not to offend. The purpose was to show the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a war crime. The purpose was to make people realize the only reason why Americans weren't prosecuted as war criminals against Japan was because America won the war. In the end the purpose of this post was to make people realize the hypocrisy of war crimes.



CJE


Coming Next Week: Can You Spare Some Change?

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