I Meet a Poor Man
One day, I met a guy who slept in the park.
Crystal decided to take me and Nanny Alice to the city. Crystal went shopping. Nanny and I went to the park.
As we strolled along, I noticed a man sleeping on a park bench.
"Why is that man sleeping there?" I asked Nanny Alice.
"Well," she said, "I suppose he has no place else to go."
"How is that? Did Daddy take away his house?"
"No, no, your father most likely had nothing to do with it. At least, I don't think so. That man must be a drunk."
When we got real close to the bench, the man sat up. "Lady, can you spare some change?" he asked. His suit was all dirty and torn.
Nanny Alice looked away, grabbed my hand, and sped up.
The man called out after us, "Jesus said, when your brother asks you for something, inquire not of his need, but give freely."
After we were well away, I asked Nanny Alice what the man meant.
"Well, Jesus did care about the poor," she said. "At least, I think so. And I think he did say we are supposed to help them. But Jesus said God helps them what helps themselves; and also, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." She sounded sorry, "that man back there, he don't want to help himself. He wants your poor old Nanny to give him money, my money I work hard for."
She rambled on. I started stomping on the flowers and weeds that came up in the cracks in the sidewalk. She looked a little upset.
"If I give my money to that man, why, then I'd just encourage his lazy ways. I'd be no better than a communist." She paused. "You know, the Russians tried that, and it didn't work out for them." I thought maybe she was worried about the man on the bench.
"No," she said, "I'm pretty sure that when Jesus said we should look after the poor, he didn't mean we should just give them money, or just hand them the things they need. I'm pretty sure he meant something else. I just don't believe exactly in what Jesus said about the poor."
"I don't believe in Jesus either," I said.
That really made Nanny Alice mad. I think she would have hit me, if she thought she could get away with it. As it was, she chased me for half a block. I laughed at her. Later, in the car, she told Crystal what I said.
"We'll teach him better," said Crystal. "I'll see that he gets to church every Sunday from now on."
Crystal decided to take me and Nanny Alice to the city. Crystal went shopping. Nanny and I went to the park.
As we strolled along, I noticed a man sleeping on a park bench.
"Why is that man sleeping there?" I asked Nanny Alice.
"Well," she said, "I suppose he has no place else to go."
"How is that? Did Daddy take away his house?"
"No, no, your father most likely had nothing to do with it. At least, I don't think so. That man must be a drunk."
When we got real close to the bench, the man sat up. "Lady, can you spare some change?" he asked. His suit was all dirty and torn.
Nanny Alice looked away, grabbed my hand, and sped up.
The man called out after us, "Jesus said, when your brother asks you for something, inquire not of his need, but give freely."
After we were well away, I asked Nanny Alice what the man meant.
"Well, Jesus did care about the poor," she said. "At least, I think so. And I think he did say we are supposed to help them. But Jesus said God helps them what helps themselves; and also, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." She sounded sorry, "that man back there, he don't want to help himself. He wants your poor old Nanny to give him money, my money I work hard for."
She rambled on. I started stomping on the flowers and weeds that came up in the cracks in the sidewalk. She looked a little upset.
"If I give my money to that man, why, then I'd just encourage his lazy ways. I'd be no better than a communist." She paused. "You know, the Russians tried that, and it didn't work out for them." I thought maybe she was worried about the man on the bench.
"No," she said, "I'm pretty sure that when Jesus said we should look after the poor, he didn't mean we should just give them money, or just hand them the things they need. I'm pretty sure he meant something else. I just don't believe exactly in what Jesus said about the poor."
"I don't believe in Jesus either," I said.
That really made Nanny Alice mad. I think she would have hit me, if she thought she could get away with it. As it was, she chased me for half a block. I laughed at her. Later, in the car, she told Crystal what I said.
"We'll teach him better," said Crystal. "I'll see that he gets to church every Sunday from now on."
posted by Biff at
6:53 PM
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