I’m going through my posts here and trying to categorize every single one if I can. I’m removing a few unnecessary and overly-controversial political stuff. This post from December 4, 2024 - almost a year ago to the day - came up just now in my review, and I’ll tell you how well it has aged after you read it.
There’s a small gaggle of Christians who stand on a downtown street corner every day hawking a “Free Bible Course” and some book I would never read. Today I noticed they were standing about 20 feet away from a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk under a blanket. Wondering what’s in that course.
Well, not much has changed. Less than two weeks ago, the same gaggle hawking the same Free Bible Course in the same location - which is literally inches away from the statehouse property line, just barely standing on the public sidewalk - were there, like always. I saw them when I came up from the parking garage elevator and walked off of the elevator and into the sort of covered lobby structure. I also saw a man sleeping on the floor. I presume he wasn’t sleeping there because it was his first choice.
And when I saw him, and I saw that stupid gaggle, I decided to say something to them. And I didn’t so much say it as yell it to their stupid faces:
“Y’know, there’s a man sleeping on the ground right there, who could probably use some help, but you’re too busy worrying about Bible classes to even see him. Maybe if you’d actually spend your day helping people like him instead of fucking handing out useless pamphlets, the world would be a better fucking place.”
And I left them standing there slack-jawed.
And then I felt guilty about yelling at them because of course not everyone can spend every waking hour helping other people. And, even though it shouldn’t be, getting people who need homes into them is complicated.
But goddammit. Seriously. You spend literally all day every day peddling that shit inches away from state property, knowing exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and you don’t have the fucking capacity to actually help someone physically lying on the ground less then 5 feet away from where you’re standing?
What the fuck version of Jesus beckoned to his followers saying, “Hand out pamphlets about the Bible and that’ll make everything better for everyone.”
I would LOVE to have the free time and resources to build a portable rack on wheels with a “FREE SATANIC BIBLE COURSE” sign and tons of pamphlets and stand right fucking next to them.
God, I’d love to do that.
