Finding balance between truth and compassion.
I struggle sometimes between helping people and speaking hard truth to them. Several months ago, after Bible study there was a car at the dog park. It was getting dark, so I had to go over to see what they were doing. It turned out that they were filling about a dozen 5 gallon bottles with water and loading them in their trunk. When I asked what was up, they said that their water was turned off so they were getting water.
Now, I don’t want anyone to be without water, but the fact is that the dog park is run on a shoe-string budget from donations directly to it and the water costs money. There is also the little fact that their water is shut off because they didn’t pay their bill. There were 3 or 4 adults in the car who seemed physically fit, surely at least one of them could get a job? I told them that they could keep what they already had taken but that the water line at the park was for use in the park, not a free water source for anyone who wanted to come and take it.
Yesterday before 8 AM I was in the park and a vehicle pulled up and one of those same people got out and started filling jugs again, apparently not seeing me. I walked up and said “What’cha doing dude?” He told me that his water was turned off so he needed to get some. I pointed out that I remembered him from before and had told him that the water was for the park use, not for people to just take. I told him that he could have what he had already filled but that he wasn’t supposed to just come and help himself.
He started to say “Well, I ain’t ste…” but then realized that was exactly what he was doing and that it was clear. I talked with him a bit and he stated that they just didn’t know how to get their water turned back on. I said “Well, you could start by paying your bill.” I then asked him how much he owed and it was a bit over $300. This told me that they had been without water for several months, which is awful!
I said to him, “Why don’t you come down to the church tomorrow morning when my secretary is here and we can probably help you get some of that bill paid?” His demeanor changed from someone angry at getting caught doing something wrong to being surprised that he was being offered help.
As Christians we have to balance holding people accountable for wrongful behavior but also being caring and compassionate about their genuine needs. It is a thing I struggle with occasionally and I have to depend upon the Holy Spirit to help me discern. It is that balance of 1 John 3:17 along with 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
As I was posting this article, the man came in to the church and we talked. He lost his job and has been earning money mowing people’s lawns. He filled out a form for the church to help him with his bill and I got him a case of bottled water from the kitchen. We both agreed that the best solution was not for him to sneak in at night or early morning and take water, but for him to get his water turned back on.