Two Easy Essays by Peter Maurin

Christianity Untried

1. Chesterton says:
    "The Christian ideal
    has not been tried
    and found wanting.
2. It has been found difficult
    and left untried."
3. Christianity has not been tried
    because people thought
    it was impractical.
4. And men have tried everything
    except Christianity.
5. And everything
    that men have tried
    has failed.  

The Duty of Hospitality

1. People who are in need 
    and are not afraid to beg 
    give to people not in need 
    the occasion to do good 
    for goodness'sake.
2. Modern society calls the beggar 
    bum and panhandler 
    and gives him the bum's rush. 
    But the Greeks used to say 
    that people in need
    are the ambassadors of the gods.
3. Although you may be called 
    bums and panhandlers 
    you are in fact
    the Ambassadors of God.
4. As God's Ambassadors 
    you should be given food, 
    clothing and shelter 
    by those who are able to give it.
5. Mahometan teachers tell us 
    that God commands hospitality, 
    and hospitality is still practiced 
    in Mahometan countries.
6. But the duty of hospitality 
    is neither taught nor practiced 
    in Christian countries.

Years ago a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program had on a young Islamic-feminist scholar who pointed out that under Islam it was required to give but also to receive charity.  Which is an extremely wise idea.  If everyone receives charity, if it is required to receive charity, then those who give it can't take the dignity and self-respect of those who have no choice but to receive charity as a price of their virtue.  When the person who give charity can't extract that price from those who need it, then their act of charity truly becomes charitable, it gives without return.  It would be impossible to think of saying something like "it was as cold as charity" if that were the case, it would be hard to give those needing charity the cold shoulder as well as a cold heart.