The city government of Las Vegas, Nevada has made it a crime to feed the homeless in a city park. Other US cities have similar laws now, according to a NY Times article:
Las Vegas, whose homeless population has doubled in the past decade to about 12,000 people in and around the city, joins several other cities across the country that have adopted or considered ordinances limiting the distribution of charitable meals in parks. Most have restricted the time and place of such handouts, hoping to discourage homeless people from congregating and, in the view of officials, ruining efforts to beautify downtowns and neighborhoods.
But the Las Vegas ordinance is believed to be the first to explicitly make it an offense to feed “the indigent.”
So on the one hand you have homeless, down and out and many times sick Americans who have no place to go as temperatures reach 110 degrees. And then there are compassionate Americans who believe they are called to reach out and minister to them through food and drink. Finally, there's a city owned park that offers space for Americans to picnic. But on the other hand of course you have Americans who would rather not concern themselves with those less fortunate than they are or certainly not be forced to see them out in public. Worst of all, they don't want to see them getting fed in a park.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus said these words that have become known as the parable of The Sheep and the Goats:
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
I confess that I too fall short of my obligation to reach out to "the least of these". I have to keep asking God for the heart to engage and not ignore suffering in the world. I just hope city officials don't make it a crime.
Note: Kevin Barbieuex authors an insightful and practical blog about homelessness in Music City.
