Because of God’s Mercy,
Hunter Farrell
Lima, Peru
Removing the Blinders:
Doing Justice in a Global Economy
No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge,
for that would be taking a life in pledge.
Deuteronomy 24:6
When is the last time you read Deuteronomy, or Numbers, or Leviticus?
These books do not tend to be part of the canon of Scripture that
we read regularly. Many of the prescriptions and prohibitions
listed sound odd—and sometimes repulsive—to today’s
readers. However, if we look at the recurring themes found in
these books, in addition to the rest of the Old Testament, we
find a religious code of ethics that upholds the dignity and well-being
of the people.
One theme that recurs too often to count, is that God’s
people should always demand justice for widows, orphans, resident
aliens, and the powerless of society. Another theme is that those
who are better off should not take advantage of those who have
fallen on harder times. In particular, even those in the lowest
of straits should not be forced to abandon their dignity, nor
their means of daily survival.
In a time when each household needed a millstone in order to
grind the grain for their daily bread, to take a family’s
millstone as a pledge or security against their debt would be
to threaten their existence, placing them in utter dependency
upon others. Similarly, in a time when land was the most important
means for an adequate living, land lost through debt was to be
returned to the original owner and all debts forgiven every 50th
y ear—the Jubilee year. The imbalance of consolidated wealth
and poverty was to be set right.
In today’s global economy, however, we see only the increasing
consolidation of wealth and power, with no set of checks and balances.
A handful of transnational corporations are setting up trade rules
that benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else—most
especially the poor. In the current corporate shape of a global
economy, the quest for the “bottom line” and big returns
for the corporate shareholders means a race to the bottom for
workers, the environment, and nearly everyone else. What is more,
the very necessities of life are being privatized and taken in
pledge; the land and seeds of traditional small farmers, the livelihood
of artisans and small business owners, schools, hospitals, and
even water are being handed over to these powerful corporations.
Moreover, democracy and the right to self-rule are threatened
by transnational courts that are answerable to no nation.
Certainly, understanding the issues around our current global
economy is complex. Furthermore, almost none of the world’s
population were given any kind of vote in making the decisions
that are shaping the economy. As Christians, however, we cannot
make excuses to silently stand by with our blinders on as very
real structures of oppression are set in place in every corner
of the globe. It is definitely easier and more comfortable to
remain ignorant of these unjust structures, but we can no longer
wear the blinders that hide these ugly realities from us.
In hindsight, it is sometimes difficult to understand why Christians
and other decent people stood by while Hitler took power and committed
unspeakable acts against Jews and other powerless populations.
Hopefully today we will take off our blinders, and gain the courage
to stand for justice in our own defining moment in history.
I would like to end with a quote from Elie Wiesel, a Jewish author
who, as a boy, watched his family horrifically killed in Auschwitz.
Wiesel writes:
I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings
endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages
the tormentor, never the tormented.
May we no longer remain silent in the face of such grave injustices.
Carolyn Bush
Presbyterian Hunger Action Enabler, Sierra Mission Partnership
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.150 |
