Leviticus 19:14
King James Version
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf,
nor put a stumblingblock before the blind,
but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.
Who are the handicapped?
Merriam-Webster defines the handicapped as those:
"having a physical or mental disability"
Surely, you know some handicapped people.
What is your attitude towards them?
How have you helped them?
Do you live with them?
Do you care for them?
How have you coped with caring for them?
A lovely story concerning a blind man comes to mind:
John 9:1-2
King James Version
9 And as Jesus passed by,
he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying,
Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents,
that he was born blind?
You may have noticed how the disciples seemed judgmental.
As if in being born blind, the man has sinned already.
JESUS always has the perfect answer for such a question:
John 9:3
King James Version
3 Jesus answered,
Neither hath this man sinned,
nor his parents:
but that the works of God
should be made manifest in him.
That's such a beautiful answer, worthy of deep meditation.
We have not been in the shoes of the handicapped, unless you are handicapped yourself.
We have no idea their everyday challenges.
The best we can do, is to make life easier for them.
And to love, respect, and honor them.
We may be hale and healthy today.
But, at any given moment -- if it be GOD's will -- we could very well lose that robust health.
So, let's not be high and mighty about it.
James 4:14
King James Version
14 Whereas ye know not
what shall be on the morrow.
For what is your life?
It is even a vapour,
that appeareth for a little time,
and then vanisheth away.
I honestly feel that a society's success can be measured by how we treat the handicapped.
If you see your streets lined with these suffering people, begging, then you know we have failed as a society.
If governments allow syndicates to drop off these poor folks at "strategic" places, then you know we have failed these people.
It's a tricky thing.
If we give money to this "planted" person, then his "owners" will make him beg more.
If we give him money, it surely won't go to him anyway.
What to do?
I pray to GOD to rid the city of syndicates, who prey upon these people.
I have seen a young man with no extremities.
I've also seen a horribly-burned individual.
They are all made to beg, that we may take pity on their plight.
How the syndicates have added insult to these people's "injury".
Can you imagine GOD's wrath upon these oppressors who prey on these suffering people?
GOD's wrath would also been upon us, if we are indifferent to their plight.
My heart grieves at seeing the great suffering, and enslavement, of these handicapped people.
But no one seems to be noticing.
Are these poor folks really invisible to the policy makers?
Or perhaps, they don't walk the streets enough?
Maybe, they're in their glitzy, chauffeur-driven cars, dictating to their personal assistants the latest policy to implement?
Until I see the streets free of captive beggars, I know my city's a failure, no matter how rich our coffers are.
Until I see these beggars adopted by government, freed from their oppressors, given the love and care they deserve, we've failed them.
Now you see why I can't work in an elite-driven skyscraper.
I'd be out of touch with reality.
The real thing is on the streets.
The back alleys, the side streets, the forgotten neighborhoods.
I need to remind myself of the people in the fringes of society.
Those who really need our help, our love, care, and concern.
And I think to myself how the rich people's money could be better distributed to these children of GOD.
How simple homes could be built.
Decent work, with fair pay, could be given to their families.
Schools with no corporate agenda, could be gifted to these people.
How giving could be real, and not for the sake of tax deductions.
How giving could be sweet, and not for the sake of next election's vote.
How giving could be honest, with no thought of return.
How giving could be humble, with no monument put up for you.
I can only turn to GOD.
Asking for wisdom in these things.
I do know GOD sees all, and knows all.
We will all be subject to judgment.
Romans 14:12-13
King James Version
12 So then every one of us
shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more:
but judge this rather,
that no man put a stumblingblock
or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
The handicapped are there, to remind us to LOVE.
Please, let's not fail them.
If we fail them, we fail ourselves.
And we won't be able to face GOD, when the time comes.
Again, JESUS has a powerful statement to wake us up:
Matthew 25:40
King James Version
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.
As such, the LORD tells us how we are to treat the handicapped:
Luke 14:12-14
King James Version
12 Then said he also to him that bade him,
When thou makest a dinner or a supper,
call not thy friends, nor thy brethren,
neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours;
lest they also bid thee again,
and a recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast,
call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed;
for they cannot recompense thee:
for thou shalt be recompensed
at the resurrection of the just.
That's what true giving is.
That's what true love is.
With no thought of return.
With no thought of reward.
Just from PURE love.
Matthew 5:8
King James Version
8 Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
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