Christian Aid? We’re all right, thanks

Collecting for Christian Aid Week can be a rewarding experience, but the most insightful part is to experience some people’s complete social inadequacy – they don’t know how to say no politely.

All too often those who don’t want to donate – which is fine, by the way – feel the only way they can say no is to make some kind of excuse.   St Barnabas’ Christian Aid organiser once offered a prize to the collector/volunteer who came back with the best excuse.  I didn’t win that year, but am hoping to this year with this one – “We’re all right, thanks.”  How about that, from a local woman?   What does it mean? Did she mean it in the sense of “I’m alright Jack,” with the implication that the world’s needy can go and get stuffed?   Or was it just a kind of easy-to-say slogan; the kind of thing you’d say to a door-to-door salesman?  The poor Christian in me prefers that explanation.

How much more satisfactory to just get a ‘no’, which a few people gave – one calling out from the back of the house through an open front door?

I personally liked the response from a near neighbour – “we’re Catholics,” he explained. I had to remind him that Catholics are Christians too.

Today I had the chap say ‘no’ then, thinking he might need to qualify that, added, “I don’t agree with the way they get involved in politics,” I pointed out that national charities HAVE to do some lobbying, if that was what he refer was referring to, and added that he was entitled to his opinion.  “Yes”, he snapped back – “I am”!

Oh well, only one more road to do!