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It takes three friends and a good agency to help a friend in need. That was the message that I sent in an email to three friends and an agency tonight seeking help for another friend in need. But my list of friends in need seems to be outgrowing at a rapid rate my list of friends that can help.
Many years ago when I was living a nice comfortable middle class life in Madison, Wisconsin, I heard about a talk that Jimmy Carter, our former president, gave at the University of Wisconsin asking students how many personal friends they had that were poor and in need. At the time I asked myself the same question and discovered that I only had one friend that was truly poor.
Over the years that friend became successful and I used to joke with him that, with his success, I had no longer any poor friends. However, times have changed. Since my retirement and with the present economic conditions I can now say to Jimmy Carter, if he asks again, that I have many friends in need.
Now this is a blessing and a responsibility. Persons in need because of finances, illnesses or just lifestyle can bring great blessing to our lives. However, at times, like this week when so many friends have asked for help, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Some say they are working on the bigger picture and changing the system, which is all well and good. Personally I feel that however worthy working for systematic change might be, and I do work for it, I need to reach out to a person in need right now.
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker, used to say that if everyone, that could, took in one homeless person there would be no homeless persons and thus no need for shelters or government programs for the homeless. However, this radical self-responsibility for persons in need seems not be too popular with Republicans or Democrats. We seem to always been waiting for some agency or organization to come to the rescue.
So I wrote an email letter to three friends and one agency to help another friend tonight. The agency email came back since I did not have the proper email address for them. The important emails, however, to three friends who can help my friend, went out. Friends helping friends to help a friend is the best way.
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