You shouldn't have to beg.

     Whatever it is, you shouldn't have to beg for it.  Begging is real though and closer to our homes and lives than we like to think about; much less deal with.  Whether it's the person at the end of the off ramp to a freeway near you to us begging for what we want; begging exists.  Some begging seems legit while a lot of begging falls into the questionable category.  One thing is for sure; begging has been with mankind since the fall of man in the garden.  One more thing to be thankful for.
     "Begging" is defined much in the same way "love" is in our society.  We love everything from grilled cheese to our family and hopefully God.  When we use these words in glib and excessive ways those around us begin to be numb to those who are doing the begging.  We rationalize away the feelings and emotions that arise when we see the sign, the clothing, the countenance and the stare.  And so it goes with our society.  We dismiss others and what they feel because we are uncomfortable or know the situation isn't what it is painted to look like.
     Quite a number of years ago a channel on TV did an expose on the beggars at the off ramps to the freeways and other places in a couple of cities.  They followed this one very disheveled looking lady with a cane hobbling away at the end of her day begging.  She walked a couple of blocks away and then took off her shabby clothing and underneath were very clean and nice clothing.  She went over to a parked new Cadillac and was about to get in when they asked if they could interview her.  She told them that she had been begging for years and averaged about $40,000.00 a year in tax free money.  She was retired and drawing her pension as well.  She, as we would expect, asked to not have her picture taken and her name publicized. 
     From there we visit the spouse, children, grandchildren or even neighbors that are victims of their abusers.  Their begging the abuser to not abuse falls on deaf ears and unless extreme circumstances dictate society doesn't intervene.  Often, now a days, citizens regularly look the other way, don't say anything and ignore the begging pleas of the very real victims.  We may attend their premature funeral and even have sadness but not acknowledge we did nothing.
     We have two extremes here.  One that takes advantage of a gullible public and one where the public turns a deaf ear and blind eye.  Why do they take place in the first place?  For some the inability to feel is the culprit.  For others the desire to avoid conflict at any cost keeps them inactive and not intervening.  But, what should we do?  What is the moral and ethical thing to do?  Why don't we do it? 
     When asked, Jesus said there were only two commandments.  The first was to love God and the second was to love our neighbor.  There is no question of how much we are to love.  With all of our heart mind and soul.  We have options as people and obligations as Christians to love.  Love can be in words, actions, and a plethora of different ways delivered to those intended.  With God, we say we love him.  However, does our love of our neighbor show that we do?  The two cannot be separated.  For if we love the one and hate the other, we do not love God. 
     In it's simplest form, love is a judgment call based on what our love of God is or isn't.  Like Jesus, we are to lay down our lives for God and fellow man.  How we do this is entirely dictated by the situation we find ourselves in.  We may be urged by the Holy Spirit to give clothing here, food there, shelter to these and comfort to them.  Should we actually take our walk with Jesus seriously we meet the need BEFORE the situation becomes on of begging.  No one should have to beg when Christians are here on earth. 
     There is no division of people into Christian and non-Christian.  We who are believers have been called to be like Jesus.  Little Christ's to the world we are entrusted with each day.  What would it be like if all your needs were met before you had to ask them to be?  Kind of peaceful isn't it.  What would those who are begging be like if they didn't have to beg?  Now that we have put this out on the table we are responsible for the knowledge we have.  Try and end some begging today.