Last month, the kids and I finished up “That Printer of Udell’s Generic Zoloft ” by Harold Bell Wright (1903).  It features Dick Faulkner, a young hard working man, who moves to the midwest in hopes of finding a charitable person who will give him work.  After striking out with everyone in the churches of Boyd City, he finally finds employment as a printer with George Udell.

The crux of this book focuses on Dick’s wrestling between the claims of Christ and his call to reach out to the poor, but the lack of application in the church.  For me personally, it was fascinating how matter-of-factly Dick spoke of applying charity, when he was trying to help the church reach out to homeless, jobless, and lost people.  When Dick proposed starting a program of charity for the homeless, another young man questioned whether such a program would lead to more crime and idleness.  Here was Dick’s response and their ensuing conversation:

“Not if it were done according to God’s law,” answered Dick. “The present spasmodic, haphazard sentimental way of giving does. It takes away a man’s self-respect; it encourages him to be shiftless and idle; or it fails to reach the worthy sufferers. Whichever way you fix it, it kills the man.”

“But what is God’s law?” asked the other.

“That those who do not work should not eat,” replied Dick; “and that applies on the avenue as well as in the mines.” purchase Prozac order Deltasone

“How would you do all this, though? That has been the great problem of the church for years.”

“I beg your pardon, but it has _not_ been the problem of the church. If the ministry had spent one-half the time in studying this question and trying to _fulfill_ the teaching of Christ, that they have wasted in quarreling over each other’s opinions, or in tickling the ears of their wealthy members, this problem would have been solved long ago. Different localities would require different plans, but the purpose must always be the same. To make it possible for those in want to receive aid without compromising their self-respect, or making beggars of them, and to make it just as impossible for any unworthy person to get along without work.”

When Ronald Reagan was asked what his favorite book was growing up as a child, he cited the profound impact “That Printer of Udell’s” had on his life.  Follow the link on the book title to read the letter he wrote to the author’s (Harold Bell Wright) daughter-in-law, when he was in office.  If you have a kindle, the book can be downloaded for free here.