Begging for a Choice
Let me start with this disclaimer: the following musings are still "in process".
There are many people that "beg" at our car windows as we drive through the city. Some are small children, some are disabled adults. There are a few children that we see on a regular basis because of where we drive and live. We recently received some free nutritional drink products and prayerfully decided that we would give some of these products to one of the little kids that we see every day on one particular street corner. The first time we gave him a pouch of this "food", he was very thankful; yet, the second time he seemed disappointed that it was the same food. I thought, rather non-compassionately, "well, beggers can't be choosers." Yet, I started thinking about this particular cliche.
Is the freedom of choice just a slogan of American freedom? Is it a societal right to be able to choose? Going deeper, is the desire for choice wrong and selfish? OR, is the freedom of choice a God-given freedom? In the account of Adam and Eve, they were indeed given the ability (and freedom) to choose: choose obedience (in not accepting the forbidden fruit) or choose disobedience (in accepting the fruit that the serpent offered). The ability and freedom of choice existed from the beginning...God created it. And so, in our fallen world where the ideal was destroyed by the choice of disobedience: can there be a "poverty of choice"?
Like I said, I am still thinking, wrestling and praying through this issue. Thanks for reading my musings. I'll continue to blog as I continue to process. --Bethany
here is the "famous" street corner that we pass everyday
There are many people that "beg" at our car windows as we drive through the city. Some are small children, some are disabled adults. There are a few children that we see on a regular basis because of where we drive and live. We recently received some free nutritional drink products and prayerfully decided that we would give some of these products to one of the little kids that we see every day on one particular street corner. The first time we gave him a pouch of this "food", he was very thankful; yet, the second time he seemed disappointed that it was the same food. I thought, rather non-compassionately, "well, beggers can't be choosers." Yet, I started thinking about this particular cliche.
Is the freedom of choice just a slogan of American freedom? Is it a societal right to be able to choose? Going deeper, is the desire for choice wrong and selfish? OR, is the freedom of choice a God-given freedom? In the account of Adam and Eve, they were indeed given the ability (and freedom) to choose: choose obedience (in not accepting the forbidden fruit) or choose disobedience (in accepting the fruit that the serpent offered). The ability and freedom of choice existed from the beginning...God created it. And so, in our fallen world where the ideal was destroyed by the choice of disobedience: can there be a "poverty of choice"?
Like I said, I am still thinking, wrestling and praying through this issue. Thanks for reading my musings. I'll continue to blog as I continue to process. --Bethany
here is the "famous" street corner that we pass everyday
