Let's Raise the Bar a Little Higher

There's a new much-played song by Matthew West on the Christian radio station that's caught my attention.  It's called "My Own Little World."  Here is a portion of the lyrics: 

Stopped at the red light, looked out my window

Outside the car saw a sign, said “Help this homeless widow”

Just above this sign was the face of a human

I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”

So I rolled down my window and I looked her in the eye
Oh how many times have I just passed her by
I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached population two.

I sang along with the song a few times before I thought about what I was singing.  For some reason it just doesn't sit right with me.  In the past I've given out money to street corner sign-holders.  After witnessing one person take my money and walk in a store to buy cigarettes and another who "needed money for gas" walk in the convenience store and leave with Red Bull and a candybar....I decided to take a different route.  I switched to McDonald's gift certificates, or even occasionally delivering a meal or coffee.  But it has been a long time since I have even done that.  After watching too many news reports about career sign-holders who make more money in a day than many honest workers, I have become jaded. 

And this song just allows us as Christians to get off too easy.  So, the singer looks the person in the eye and hands her some cash.  How is that really supposed to help her?  Does he even know that the money will be used wisely?  Do we need to know?  Or do we just leave it up to God and say we are doing our part?  It sure is easy enough.....it doesn't cost us much to "look someone in the eye" and hand them cash.  But I don't think it is as admirable as the song makes it out to be.  Frankly, when Jesus was confronted with beggars, He could have easily just handed them a coin or two and kept on walking (yes....I realize that Jesus probably didn't carry much cash on Him).  Instead of offering them money, He offered them hope.  And though we are instructed to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, Jesus never did so without addressing the more important matter of the state of their souls. 


And so as much as I appreciate the idea behind the song, I wish that the songwriter had asked us to do more....to go out of our comfort zone....to not just look the homeless in the eyes through the window of our car and share a few dollars with them, but to devote some time out of our busy lives to volunteer at the homeless shelter and actually share ourselves with them.  Now that would be more like reaching outside of "our own little world."