The Lord knows the true circumstances of the person who is begging. Broadly speaking, there are five types of demand: the demand of the beggar in the street or at our door; the friend or acquaintance who asks for material assistance from a position of apparent need; the demand of the opportunist, the claims of the refugee and the asylum seeker; and the "begging letter" send by charitable organizations. 

The author reflects on:

• The initial reaction, especially if 8jm we have a short fuse
• Do we react with the right Christian attitude?
• Do we have the skill to be able to deal with our won immediate reactions?
• Is the outcome of the encounter the right one?  

Some of the material in this book is written with the missionary working in low- income countries particularly in mind, as he or she may be more directly faced on a day to day basis with the problems of the poor. The narratives are based on actual life experiences but names have been changed and, occasionally, a few details have been omitted.