Tonight I Gave a Homeless Man Five Dollars…Was It Socialism?

When the temperature outside is 26 degrees it’s not a good time to make overly critical value judgments about the plight of another human being.  That’s why tonight I gave five dollars to a man down on his luck asking for a handout. I later wondered if some might consider my action, Socialism.

It wasn’t subsidizing a major corporation or giving tax breaks to the rich and famous, both acceptable behaviors, but instead mine was an act of compassion for another person in need. And it felt good. It was freezing cold outside and I wish I could have done more.  The man thanked me as he hurried inside the supermarket perhaps to buy some hot coffee by which to stay warm.

Socialism and its meaning as defined by some, comes into the equation, because as I listened to the many arguments against health care reform, a recurring theme was that most people were happy with their insurance coverage and health care reform was socialized medicine. Well, I too am satisfied with my insurance, but my support for health care reform is less of a personal need and more of a desire to help persons less fortunate.

We certainly are a nation of hypocrites. We can heartily profess love and concern for the welfare of our brothers and sisters inside our church walls and exhibit little or no empathy for others once we exit our places of worship. So is it really Socialism to help someone or is it merely a distortion of Christian virtues? All too often the answer will depend on where the question gets asked.