Happy Leach Day

(Proverbs 30:15 KJV)  The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

I have lived most of my life in Southern California.  It is semi-arid with no places that I know of where a “leech” (5936) would thrive.  I only heard about them on vacation and I am not sure if I have ever seen one in real life.  They are bloodsuckers.  They live by pulling the life blood out of other creatures.  My understanding is that they never let go, even in death.

We run into people like that.  They don’t want to give.  They make no contribution.  All they will do is demand and take.  Our modern welfare system has been guilty of creating a whole class of people who have developed an attitude that we have an official title for:  Entitlements.  I am in the process of signing up for Social Security and Medicare.  They are entitlements.  We think we deserve them.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Most of us have paid into the system for years and feel like we are entitled to some fulfillment of the contract.

Our welfare system goes beyond that.  It starts with the best of intentions.  The purpose is to help people in need.  That is good.  The problem is that it quickly moves from aiding the needy to rewarding sloth and indolence.  When charity was in the hands of the church there were natural safety features that encouraged people to get back on their feet.  In the government system the tendency is the other direction.  What would happen if the social workers of the world were suddenly successful?  They would all lose their jobs.  Can you spell “conflict of interest”?

So?  As Christians we need to find the line between giving people what they want and giving them what they need.  Rarely are they the same thing.