
Whenever I hear the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke’s gospel, it is tempting to feel a little smug, for surely, I am not like the Jewish priest or the Levite who ignore the beaten man’s suffering, and walk by on the other side? Surely, I would come to the man’s aid. However, in recent years I am not so certain. I think of all the times I have walked by people begging on the street, feeling uncomfortable, yet averting my eyes. I could come up with a host of reasons: I’m hurrying to get somewhere; I am nervous of taking out my wallet in the street; I don’t have any change on me; the person begging looks a bit scary; they might only go and spend the money on something other than food; I already donate money to charities who help the homeless, and so on. At one time, it was only on the streets of Toronto that I encountered people begging, but now, with the financial hardship faced by so many, it’s right here on our doorstep. So, what should we do? Jesus made it very clear: we are to love our neighbours.
Of course, there will be times when we are simply unable to help financially. Going into Toronto in my early days as a Christian, I would carry granola bars with the verse from John 3:16 taped on them, until one disgruntled man begging in the subway tossed it right back at me in disgust! Subsequently I would make sure I had some toonies in my pocket, but I would soon run out of change.
More recently, I carry Tim Horton’s gift cards which are always well-received, and I try to engage in a brief conversation with the person. Last month a man was sitting on the sidewalk outside the grocery store, and I offered him a Tim’s card and asked him if he was going through hard times. He told me his wife and son had been killed in a car accident a couple of months before and he had nowhere to live. I wanted to weep. I asked his name and told him about our food bank, and as I drove back to my warm home, my car laden with food, I prayed that he might get the help he so obviously needed. I am beginning to realize that this kind of interaction, as brief as it may be, is so important, and knowing the man’s name made my prayer more meaningful.
I am very thankful that at All Saints’ we can help so many needy people in our community. It’s hard to imagine that a few short years ago the “Deacon’s Cupboard” operated out of a tiny room in the church basement. Clients had to prove that they were on social assistance and could only visit once a month. We all know that the pandemic caused a seismic shift in just about every aspect of life. People who suddenly had no income were in desperate need of food. Almost overnight the rules were relaxed, and anyone in need was able to come…not just once a month, but once a week. Our numbers exploded and on a typical day more than 40 families will be served. Monthly food drop-offs replaced the in-church donations and are visible reminders of people’s generosity.