Why money isn't the whole solution

There's an abundance of people who believe any problem can be solved if you just throw enough money at it: education, defense, social breakdown--you name it. But money is merely a means to an end. It takes the active involvement of people to ensure resources are employed effectively, and to provide accountability for the desired change.

That's where we're sadly lacking as a society. Rather than invest ourselves in anything, we'd rather just throw money at the problem and wish it well. That opens the door for many abuses.

I once worked for a great manager at a drug store. He came to work one day fit to be tied. On the way in, he'd been approached at an intersection by someone begging for money. He offered to purchase the man new clothes and hire him on at the store. Suddenly, the man had somewhere he needed to be.

In no way do I mean to paint all beggars as mere con artists. But I do think my manager's approach was the correct one. He offered more than a handout--he offered a life change. And the responsibility then lay with the one who refused to accept it.

Come to think of it, that's pretty much Christ's model with us, isn't it?