Farkel Hits the Bread Line

by Farkel 28 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Eusebius Hieronymus

  Farkel, I was deeply moved, not just by your circumstance but the thought-stimulating material you presented.

  Yesterday with a friend I went to an Episcopal Church service, ready to be whacked into putting my arms around the cross. I came away deeply touched by displays of simple goodness.

  Walking in the door, I noted a huge pile of grocery bags, mostly unperishables. A greeter explained that members take these to homeless, needy and elderly after the services. A table had a sign-up sheet; wondering what it was for, I looked furtively. You could put your name down if you needed someone to pick up drugs at the pharmacy or do your shopping for or with you. Another sign-up sheet was for a six-mile run in behalf of breast cancer.

  During the service there is an opportunity for exchanging the Peace. The priest says "May the Peace of the Lord be always with you." The people respond: "And also with you." Then people just mill all over, shake hands, hug, wishing "God's peace" on everyone. It was not robotic, but genuine.

  There were so many young people! To my surprise they announced the youth group were missing, because they were with chaperones on a retreat. Also announced was a Thursday night program on Diabetes awareness, volunteers were sought for a regular work with a local juvenile detention center. I lost track of all the programs going on.

  A continental breakfast was available for everyone, then people started drifting toward the blood mobile in the parking lot. Give the Gift of Life. And they did in droves.

  The place was packed on a Labor Day weekend. Oh yes, the Bible readings were great, and some historical information was provided for each one, context, setting, most instructive. Singing was hair-raising. Blended traditional hymns were interposed with rock-like music that really well, rocked, to which the kids really responded and the adults beamed. The sermon was 15 minutes of uplift. No doctrine shoved down your throat, but a meaty discussion of Buddhism vs. Christian principles was put out, but in such a way that Buddhism was not put down but looked at as having fine ideas to be modeled.

  I worked up the courage to ask a priest a question. He had previously asked everyone to call him Dave; I did. He said a confidential report of child abuse would be dealt with very carefully, took me into his office and showed me an upfront form given to individuals and to social services or appropriate authorities--"child abuse is on a different plane from the confessional," he said.

  I stumbled into a den of Christians. Babylon the Great was alive and well.
  From what I hear that is not very unusual.

  Jerry
• 

  Tallyman

  D., I would like to help. I WANT to help. I am in a position to help, by the grace of my Father and my Lord. So, please, open the email and follow the instructions... and let me help.

  Don't do it, Dougie!

  Shelby wants to send you all the Crow and Humble Pie that's been piling up at her crib, which she will not eat.

  She's trying to wish it off on you.

  She just will not take her Needed Nourishment.
  It's not like any of us have asked her to sit at the table and wash her feet and eat the Crow and Humble Pie with her toes...

  .
• 

  jurs

  Hi Farkel,

  I enjoyed your post. I've been in many bread and cheese lines. My dad lost his job when the mine shut down in my hometown and we relied upon the kindness of other until he got back on his feet. In my opinion being broke builds characterand compassion for others that people born with a silver spoon in their mouths lack...
  Anyhow back to the point you brought up. Doesn't it make you all a little ashamed of the JW mindset we all use to have. I looked my nose down on churches that offered true christian love.

  Jurs
• 

  NewLight2

  "The line had about thirty to forty people in it and during the fifteen or so minute wait, I observed them. This all took place on the sidewalk outside the Church. There were old people who were obviously poor, single mothers who looked frazzled and old beyond their years, immigrants and even well-dressed folks who didn?t look like they should belong in a food line. A very few looked homeless or near-homeless. Some people drove up and parked their very new and nice cars to get in line."

  "The "experienced" ones were first in line and I could be wrong, but it looked like they were possibly abusing this free program. This one man was middle-aged, nice haircut, and nicely dressed and he carted off what looked to be ten or twelve loaves of bread and two cakes. An older Russian couple in front of me took at least 8 to 10 loaves of
  bread, a bunch of doughnuts and two cakes. In these two examples those
  individuals were too old to have their own children living at home, but perhaps there were others they were taking care of, and I will not judge them, for I just don't know."

  Appearences can be quite decieving at first. Those ones who are well dressed and driving nice cars are not always there for themselves. I know of several folks who go to these "free food giveaways" and take what appears to be "lots of food for themselves". But in reality, they are there, not for themselves, but to pick up food for others who can't make it to these places. They give the food away, personally delivering it to the homes of the very needy.
• 

  fodeja

  Farkel,

  you're obviously going through rough times at the moment. I'm not very good at saying the right words at the right time, and since we're just on the Net here, you'll have to _imagine_ getting just a straight look in your eyes, a nod, a slap on the back, and one of my famous omelettes.

  As regards your experience with the Catholic church, I agree completely. I'm living in a mostly Catholic country and have to read and listen to the idiotic, arrogant, stupid utterances of Catholic bishops quite frequently on the media. The Catholic Church has a lot of genuine, excuse my language, assholes in their leadership.

  But then, I know of not one organization that spends so much effort on "loving their neighbour" as the church. Especially their charity branch, the Caritas. Many, many people are investing an admirable lot of time, money, effort on genuine help for people who need it. Unconditionally. Even with the quite fine social system we have here, without the church, there'd be not just a few homeless and starving people on the streets. I know one JW woman personally who left her violent husband with a child in tow, fearful, with just a handbag and her clothes on, not knowing where to go.

  Guess where she found shelter? She got a room in a womens' house run by the Caritas, with warm food, medical assistance and people looking after her kid. Psychological assistance from a free psychosocial service offered by the city. Free legal assistance from a state-sponsored program.
  Nothing, not one single thing makes me more upset about the hypocritical WTS-style "Christianity" than their refusal to help unconditionally. Just for the sake of helping people because they're fellow human beings, sharing the same damn planet.

  f.
• 

  waiting

  Howdy Jerry,

  I worked up the courage to ask a priest a question. He had previously asked everyone to call him Dave; I did. He said a confidential report of child abuse would be dealt with very carefully, took me into his office and showed me an upfront form given to individuals and to social services or appropriate authorities--"child abuse is on a different plane from the confessional," he said.

  Doesn't it just make you feel that you have belonged to some backwoods, snake-handling, religious fanatics? We thought we were sooooo enlightened! Soooooo much better than everyone else!

  I stumbled into a den of Christians. Babylon the Great was alive and well.

  From what I hear that is not very unusual.

  I hope you tell us more. I think a thread started about people's experiences in other churches or even individual groupings, would be so beneficial. A lot of us only know what the jw's told us (we nevered believed what churchgoers told us - they were so brainwashed and couldn't see the light.)

  Think about it?

  waitign
• 

  Rex B13

  I'm still here, Doug. You're telling people just what I myself have experienced from the giving side of the coin. You know what? What people believe is between them and God...or no god if they prefer. But man, when people give of themselves for the benefit of others, that is the mark of a life filled with love.
  It sounds like they will accept your help gratefully and it makes one feel so good to do things for others who can't repay you!
  Someone sometime will ask you about your spiritual beliefs and I pray they just let the Holy Spirit do His work and they stay out of the way. May God bless you and yours in your time of need.
  Don't let pride stand in the way if you are in need of more help.
  Rex
• 

  Rex B13

  Cygnus,
  Reading your post makes me sad that anyone can be so cynical. You still hate old, Babylon, dontcha'?
  Rex
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Hi Farkel,

  Your message touched me much more than I would have expected it to. I puzzled over what it was that "got to me" so. Then I realized: this is what *I* could have been; this is what *we all* could have been; people taught to truly love our fellow man rather than "publishers" taught to tally up our hours and (as has already been stated) think of how much better than everyone else we were.

  When I began to "fall away" nearly a quarter century ago, part of what led to it was my realization, as a young man entering the workforce, that there were some darned good people out there and that they didn't deserve the kind of summary execution the watchtower illustrators used to portray for us. remember the Armageddon calendar in the early 60's? I was just a kid, and I learned to harden my heart toward people who were in the world.

  I keep to myself. I think my heart is still hard and scarred and calloused, but not so much that reading your experience didn't make me very sad: for I see what sort of person I could have been.