Saturday, July 12, 2008

Ambassadors of God

People who are in need and are not afraid to beg give to people not in need the occasion to do good for goodness' sake. Modern society calls the beggar bum and panhandler and gives him the bum's rush. But the Greeks used to say that people in need are ambassadors of the gods. Although you may be called bums and panhandlers you are in fact the ambassadors of God. As God's ambassadors you should be given food, clothing and shelter by those who are able to give it.
--Peter Maurin

4 comments:

Dromedary Hump said...

Thats an interesting take. One I fully reject, but it's interesting never the less.

Seems to me he might want to amend this elevation of the begger limiting this glorification of poverty to those who are trying to make their lives better, and not dependent on the "kindness of others" as a full time avocation.

Frankly, those "who can and won't" support themselves (vs those who are unable through physical or mental impariment) deserve nothing but distain. To suggest to the indolent or unambitiousthat happily feed at the public teet as though it is their right, that they are some how part of "God's" plan, or some how "blessed" is beyond absurd. Its obscene.

Unfortunatly, unlike in the days of the ancient Greeks, where there were no state funded welfare programs, there are people who have opted out of the work ethic. To not make that distinction is folly.

Dromedary Hump said...

I probably should have noted that Maurin is in no position to "amend" his comment,,,LOL.

Joyce said...

Uh, yeah. The guy died in 1949. LOL

Dromedary Hump said...

You know Joyce, the more I read that quote of Maurin's, the more irksome it becomes.

Imagine, this guy glorifies the unemployed, the indolent, the non-productive segment of society with out making differenhtiation for those who are ill and infirm. He endows every panhandler, regardless of their ability and background, with some special qualties that elevates them above all others.

And by others I mean the people who are self reliant; who contribute to society; who grow our food, make our clothes, build our buildings; protect us; etc. etc. Some how THESE productive people who are the foundation of society are obligated to support and provide for the Takers, those who lack ambition, lack self respect.

If anyone should be endowed with a title, its the Producers, the mainstay of our society and culture without whom we'd ALL be beggers.

Those who feed off of them deserve no glorifcation,no canonization, no saintly mantle, and sure as shit don't need any encouragement to accept their condition as a good thing.

But Maurin was a bit of a nut job to begin with.