A Price for Everything

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Five of Pentacles; from the Archetype Cards, the "Guide:"

          On a cold, snowy day, men looking for work stand in a line as Our Lady of Guadalupe watches over them. On the older side of town in the city where I live, we have the Dray Line, a place where men gather to (hopefully) be chosen as a day laborer. Some of these men are homeless or down on their luck; many of them have a hard time maintaining a full time job because of disabilities, mental health problems or addiction issues. I remember several years ago reading in the newspaper about a woman who people called Mother Davis. For more than two decades, she would show up at the Dray Line on Fridays with a hot breakfast of eggs, grits, sausage, ham, bread, and juice for them. Her "Hope for the Hopeless" ministry doled out a gospel of encouragement rather than shame.
          In contrast, I knew a woman who had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and was struggling with health and financial issues. She went to talk to a friend in hopes of finding some guidance and reassurance. This lady considered herself a "life coach" and ended up billing her friend for the time she spent with her (at a hefty price). A pastor who was also a trained psychotherapist had a couple who were members of his church come for marriage counseling. He saw them once for "free," then told them they would have to make an appointment at his office for any subsequent visits (and pay his going rate). As I consider the Five of Pentacles and Guide today, I wonder if even compassion and kindness has had a price tag put on it.