Yesterday

This is something quite interesting to me, compassion, care, dedication, love, being kind to others. All values most people will say they have, but truly do they?

Once I saw a man, and for the first time ever I actually physically wanted to hurt him. I've never purposely wanted to hurt anyone, but this man I believed actually deserved it. You see I'm currently hanging out in Maple Ridge, a small city, but any city has its homelessness problems, Maple Ridge being no exception although, to a much smaller degree than most, it still happens.

Now a late night, I decided to go to 7:** (I’m not here for product placement so I'm not naming this store), and outside I was accosted by a young woman, she looked as if she had been in the street a while, I was expecting the usual "Please sir may I have some money?", in which most cases I say no, not because I can't spare it, but because I believe that giving out money well it doesn't solve anything. However instead of this she asked me for food, nothing more than a basic necessity and something I’m more than willing to give out. So I ask her to wait a minute and stated that I would be back. Long story short I bought her some food went outside, and gave it to her. Nothing wrong with this I would figure, I felt rather good about it, after all its just food what does it hurt.

WELL not so much the mentality of my fellow man, a man who claimed he was a pastor, a man who drove up to me as I am handing this young lady a hotdog, and called me "A F***ing retard, for giving food to an useless w***e.", to which I retorted calmly, and plainly "I'm sure you think that way sir, but I find this to be very close minded and I don't believe you to be a person I would wish to associate myself with in any way.", his answer was to inform me he is a pastor at a church (I wish he told me which so I could avoid it like the black plague.), and that he knows how these people think, that they can get freebies everywhere and are too lazy to help themselves. At this point I find myself getting angry but still in control, odd isn't it that someone who is supposed to be of a clergy can make you so angry? And then preach about kindness and respecting your fellow man? Well I reply again and I realize at this point that ignoring his statements would be best, "please sir all I gave her is some food, leave me be, and leave her be so she can have a peaceful meal." I do think it went over the top with my next comment but I stand by it, this comment being "I realize you would like to preach your ignorance to the rest of us, but I'm not willing to listen, I'm going home now, so should you."

Well that statement drove this man over the top, he offered to get out of his car and physically "teach me a thing or two about ignorance", I thought this comment was just appropriate for him, he literally did teach me a thing or two on the subject with this mere statement alone. I drove off but I have to say, had he actually left his car I might have reciprocated in an appropriate manner, I can't say I would have felt bad about flattening him, but I also can't say I would have felt well either.

This brings me to the point of all this, is it possible that human nature is so flawed, that a man who is supposed to preach and practice kindness to others, is well the least kind of all? Can it be that he can teach us a lesson in kindness by giving us nothing but vain words, of which he never practices himself? Can we sincerely believe in these words? Well I’ll leave these questions to individuals to answer, but for me I know my answer.

I will continue doing what I am doing, and from here on in those who preach must practice, before I take them upon their word. Put your money where your mouth is you might say.