It takes more than food to feed the poor

A few years ago, a good friend of mine noticed a homeless man begging on the side of the road. Now, any of us who have watched specials on television know that most of these guys are faking it–looking for a free hand out, right? A good Samaritan might give him a few bucks just to show him generosity.
My friend decided to do way more than that. He picked him up and took him out to eat. After a long conversation over a McDonald’s meal, he learned that his destitute state was a reality. The problem was he had no desire to change. The conversation ended somewhat like this, “Sir, thank you for the free meal. I needed it. Honestly, though, I just want money for liquor.” Well, how do you fix that? He is destitute and he doesn’t want to change. Sometimes I think it’s too easy for us to believe that benevolence alone will change someone.
I do understand that people need their basic needs met before they can wrestle through higher levels of thinking. We have all studied Abraham Maslow and his infamous hierarchy of needs, the most basic being food and water. Yet we must not forget the most important issue of the heart.
Until there is a transformation of the will, any economic adjustment will be short lived.

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