Problem of the Poor

I was discussing the vexed question of “vagabonds” with another minister. On the one hand, one wants to minister to them as persons whom “God so loved” -- on the other hand, they may not be the “humble poor” one imagines. One example. There was once a system at work outside my Church office whereby a hardened “protector” deployed beggars as “bait”, to obtain an income. He benefited much, the beggars benefited little, and he terrorised the street: if anyone jeopardised the system, they could be -- and were -- assaulted by the protector. Beggars were empowered, under the protector, to be aggressive and abusive. OBSERVATION: This is just one example how the problem of the poor may not be that simple. My "bottom line" has been: let them depart better off than when they came, in whatever way that may be.