Serving, or a Disservice?

http://www.mnddc.org/mcKnight/documents/Why_Servanthood_is_Bad.pdf

My son sent me this article from one of his college classes recently, and though it was new to me, it was written in 1989 and may be familiar to you. John McKnight's premise is that when agencies look at a community as being in need of 'services', they often damage the community as a whole. I encourage you to read the author's own words as they are more eloquent than my own.

My first reaction was, "Aha! I knew that government attempts to 'help' us were a bad idea!" I see the damage done to our inner city communities where the government has taken over the role of a parent. Communities that once functioned together despite their poverty have lost their sense of being able to provide for themselves. Why go to the effort of working together in difficulties if there is an agency of "professionals" that are not only willing to do it, but have convinced you they can do it better?

My second thought was to wonder how often I am guilty of the same assumptions on a personal level, and my righteous indignation melted away. I take seriously the biblical command to love my neighbor and serve others rather than seeking selfish gain. Sometimes I'm just not so good at being able to tell when I'm being helpful or when I am doing something the other person should do for themselves. Even worse, there have been times when I've given in to the temptation to help someone, and my help has only made their situation worse.

An intersection near my home hosts a parade of sorry looking souls holding up signs with some variation of 'will work for food', or 'down on my luck please help me.' I often see people reaching their hands out the driver's window to hand cash to whoever is collecting donations that day. I squirm in my seat and feel guilty for not doing the same, even though I know that most of the money probably goes to anything but food. I was once told by someone that ran a homeless shelter that they would actually kick out any of their guests who were seen panhandling in such a way, because the money invariable went to drugs or alcohol and the panhandler still showed up at the shelter for all their meals.

I'm not a heartless person, though, and it troubles me. How can I know if a person is truly in need, since only God can see the heart? Then I have to remind myself that God 'don't make no junk.' He created mankind and told us to fill and subdue the earth. Clearly he would not have told us to do something He knew we were incapable of doing. He made exceptions for widows, orphans, and the sick, but that's about it. I'm not doing anyone any favors by doing something for them that they are capable of doing for themselves. I only rob them of their dignity and self-respect.