Since I am a teacher and a constant student of Philosophy, I feel it is necessary to share with you my personal observations and thoughts about our current project involving feeding the homeless and the impoverished in St. Augustine, Florida...
My observation is simple enough to see for anyone. Many of the men and women who come to the Plaza de la Constitution are people who come to receive food, clothing, simple medical needs and hygiene products. However, time and time again I find that the main reason many of these individuals come to Sanctuary's Wednesday and Saturday 'feedings' is to talk to many of the servers. The real core essence of what makes Sanctuary different from many (if not all) other groups feeding in the Plaza, is the concept that "Sharing a loving moment, talking, joking, laughing or hugging is truly Feeding the spirits of those considered impoverished."
Spending five minutes with anyone down at the 'feedings' is truly a lifetime experience and has the capability of changing both our personal interpretation of life and the focus of how we all choose to live our lives. Yet it is not the gift of food and products that are part of the true 'feedings' at the Plaza. It is our ability to treat everyone there as 'Family' that becomes the real food that all men and women are starved of.
Eva Peron, the first lady of Argentina once said, "Almsgiving tends to only perpetuate poverty; aid does away with it once and for all."
The subtle truth behind her quote is true in our modern society. We are faced with an amazing choice: Should we give alms and charity or should we realistically give hope and opportunity?
Our ability as individuals to really distinguish between what really is aid and what is just 'bandaging' the problem is given light through our general understanding of what matters to us as individuals. We should question our intentions to find a better sense of integrity and morality behind them. We should do for anyone and everyone simply because they need it and deserve it as people. We should not do for others because Religious scripture tells us that we need to become holy or 'saved'. We should not do for others because it gives us better publicity or face value in the publics eye. We should not do for others to prove the oppressors wrong. We should not do for others because we pity others. And we should not do for others because it makes us feel good about ourselves.
WE SHOULD DO FOR OTHERS BECAUSE "HUMAN" IS REALLY A PLURAL TERM.
