A salutory lesson at Christmas time

Warrigal

Warrigal

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Sydney, Australia
This is what we called experiential learning when I was teaching.

US bishop dresses up as homeless man to expose congregation's lack of compassion

November 30, 2013
  • df_alwide_musselman-20131130062153606323-620x349.jpg
  • David Musselman in disguise. Photo: WTSP.com

    Taylorsville, Utah: Members of a Mormon congregation in a Salt Lake City suburb encountered someone they thought was a homeless man at church on Sunday. What they did not know was the man was a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    At least five people asked David Musselman to leave the church property in Taylorsville, some gave him money and most were indifferent.
The main thing I was trying to get across was we don't need to be so quick to judge
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He said he disguised himself as a homeless man to teach his congregation a lesson about compassion. To make his appearance more convincing, he contacted a Salt Lake City make-up artist to transform his familiar face to that of a stranger not even his family recognised.

df_alnarrow-_musselman-20131130062223392244-300x0.jpg

David Musselman as he normally appears. Photo: Youtube

"The main thing I was trying to get across was we don't need to be so quick to judge," Musselman told KUTV-TV.

He received varied reactions to his appearance at church, he said.

"Many actually went out of their way to purposefully ignore me, and they wouldn't even make eye contact," he told the Deseret News. "I'd approach them and say, 'Happy Thanksgiving.' Many of them I wouldn't ask for any food or any kind of money, and their inability to even acknowledge me being there was very surprising."

The reaction that touched Musselman the most was from children.

"I was impressed by the children. I could see in their eyes they wanted to do more," he said.
Musselman, who told only his second counsellor that he would be disguised as a homeless man, walked to the pulpit during the service. He finally revealed his true identity and took off his wig, fake beard and glasses.

"It had a shock value that I did not anticipate," he said. "I really did not have any idea that the members of my ward would gasp as big as they did."

Ward member Jaimi Larsen was among those surprised it was her bishop. "I started feeling ashamed because I didn't say hello to this man ... He was dirty. He was crippled. He was old. He was mumbling to himself," she said.

It wasn't Musselman's goal to embarrass ward members or make them feel ashamed, he said. Instead, he wanted to remind them to be kind to people from all walks of life not just at the holidays, but all year long, he said.

"To be Christ-like, just acknowledge them," he said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-bish...-compassion-20131130-2yhrr.html#ixzz2nO0EqppW
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Good on him, i find that too many people are too quick to judge a person by the way they look, like this lady now she could be the kindest and most compassionate person you could ever meet.

 

The idea that all homeless people will turn out to be nice polite and grateful recipients of some good ole Christian platitudes is a bit misplaced. Some of them will list your pedigree in words of one syllable. There were a lot around Central where I worked and some were quite okay, some were tolerable and some you wouldn't dare approach within shotgun range. They won't all be bishops in disguise. Just sayin'.
 
Diwundrin said:
The idea that all homeless people will turn out to be nice polite and grateful recipients of some good ole Christian platitudes is a bit misplaced. Some of them will list your pedigree in words of one syllable. There were a lot around Central where I worked and some were quite okay, some were tolerable and some you wouldn't dare approach within shotgun range. They won't all be bishops in disguise. Just sayin'.
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But that also applies to the guy getting out of his new Mercedes, and the beautiful lady shopping at Tiffany's ...
 
Well, to be honest I never tried approaching them with Christian charity uppermost in mind, but.....

... and before you dive onto that sitter, I'm serving notice that it won't be seen for a few hours. Ni' all. :eek:fftobed:
 
Diwundrin said:
The idea that all homeless people will turn out to be nice polite and grateful recipients of some good ole Christian platitudes is a bit misplaced. Some of them will list your pedigree in words of one syllable. There were a lot around Central where I worked and some were quite okay, some were tolerable and some you wouldn't dare approach within shotgun range. They won't all be bishops in disguise. Just sayin'.
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Yeah but, when they turn up in your church it is important to at least say "G'day" and "Won't you stay after the service for a cuppa".

As for the area around Central, I go there to my dentist and earlier this year I was early for an appointment and decided to kill some time in the park. I saw a bench in the sun that was occupied by just one woman so I asked her if I could share the seat and took out my knitting. We had quite a good conversation for about 20 minutes that ranged over a variety of subjects. She was a drug addict and homeless but was also an intelligent and interesting woman and we got on well.
 
When you do find the 'okay' ones they can be really surprisingly interesting company, no argument there. One old lady lived, or at least slept at Central for years. She was like everybody's country Aunty, not remarkable at a glance, just very normally 'Aunty' like. Very proper, and always clean, or at least non smelly like some.

This was back around '68-'70 when times were gentler and there was a rapport between the platform staff and some of the 'regular' better behaved homeless.

She had a ritual of turning up around 10pm and collecting one of those big wooden luggage carts from where a station assistant would leave it conveniently behind the Kiosk for her. She'd put her bags on it up one end, open her small suitcase and extract a pillow blanket and slippers and 'change' for bed. Then she'd push the whole thing around the front of the kiosk and buy (she always had cash for that, she didn't panhandle) a cup of tea and whatever buns etc were on offer.

She'd sit and chat to the staff from her 'bed' for a while then push it back out of sight and fold up for the night on it. I often got involved in a bit of the chat depending on when 'munchies' time sent me down there. It used to open all night back then.

She was quite up to date on the issues of the day and spoke well and intelligently. She was so normal and nice many a traveller presumed she was, like them, between trains on the way to somewhere and sat and chatted with her to pass the time. Maybe she was, in a way, but I was never able to hang around, shirkin' workin', down there long enough to get her 'story.'

Wish I had paid them more attention sometimes but you don't find them quite as fascinating when you're young and still know everything. I do remember her after all these years as being the 'nicest' one of them all.
 
That's the thing that would give me pause when dealing with the homeless - it would depend upon why they're homeless.

Lost your job because of layoffs? House foreclosed? No problem - chat me up.

Drug addicted? Lost your job because of stealing? Severe mental problems? No thanks - move it on down the highway.

I don't open my arms to just anybody, despite the feel-good / do-good atmosphere of the season. In fact, I don't need a specific season to try to do good. But I'm also not willing to be an easy mark. I've had homeless folk that I put up for a few weeks, gave them food and even tried to set them up with jobs. But I've also had homeless people that pulled knives on me for without provocation, and one little old lady who swung her shopping bags at me on Fifth Avenue, then cackled like a happy witch.

Being good is right, but being a sucker is wrong.
 
Once I gave a person who appeared homeless and in need of a good meal, $5 for food. I then watched him go into a liquor store. Since then, I offer to buy them a meal when they ask for money for food. Most of them simply walk away. Only one actually let me buy him a meal.I think there are better and safer ways to help. Volunteering at your local food banks and soup kitchens is one. These places often need help during the week.
 

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