Jubilee Mercy

The Year of Jubilee provides a kind of aspirational ideal in the communal life of the historic people of God.  There is little evidence that Israel actually complied with the instructions of Leviticus 25.  So perhaps I am a fool (on this April 1st) to hold out any hope that my country, much less the world, would embrace such an expansive model of societal grace.  Still, I want to ask, especially in light of the present near-apocalyptic global pandemic, what is the alternative?

With world economies in shambles, joblessness going through the roof, supply chains breaking down, and national debts soaring, what would make the most sense in order for all of us to be able to start again a life of relative normalcy?  Will we evict tenants unable to pay their rent?  Should banks foreclose on mortgages?  Will we extract Shylock’s “pound of flesh” to insure we get what is owed to us?  Is there no place for mercy at the end of the pandemic?

Admittedly, getting the nations of the world to agree on a gracious course of economic action would likely be the most formidable challenge the United Nations has ever envisioned.  Cancelling debts, whether of nations or individuals, has consequences for creditors, mortgage holders, and economic systems.  But it seems to me that trying to collect on the world’s debt will be far more destructive to economic recovery than negotiating a model of debt forgiveness akin to what we find outlined in the Year of Jubilee.

At the present moment it is the coronavirus health crisis that is taking all our attention and resources, as it rightly should be.  But a year from now, after the medical crisis has been hopefully disarmed and the virus’ impact has been limited, our crisis will be one of economic justice.  Justice, of course, is “getting what one deserves.”  But if we each and all insist on getting what we deserve, our recovery will not only be prolonged, it will also be nasty - there is no other word.

Mercy, however, as described in Leviticus 25, does not insist on getting what one deserves.  Rather, mercy is a gift given with no strings attached, with no expectation of reciprocation.  The Year of Jubilee provides us with a model for how to restore a community’s life to some degree of fairness after a time when persons (and perhaps nations) have experienced both the ups and downs of human experience.  Such a model does require of those who have profited in life to forego some of that profit for the good of the community.  So, yes, the “haves” must sacrifice for the sake of the “have nots.”  This is a slap in the face of capitalism, but like Jesus said, “what will it profit them to gain the whole world and lose their soul?”

From my perspective the Year of Jubilee is not just an ethical model for us to embrace, but I believe it to be the most practical way forward.  Does it not make sense in light of the economic chaos before us to wipe the slate clean and start afresh?  I do not suggest that any of this will be simple, but I do believe Jubilee would provide a more human, humane, and practical solution to the challenges we will face in the year, or years, to come.  

Jubilee puts a priority on mercy.  Justice, of course, is also a godly principle, and most of us believe in justice.  Most of us want justice for people.  We want people to get what they deserve (whether reward or punishment).  But when the question is turned around to us, we would prefer for ourselves not justice - not what we deserve, but mercy - the gift of a new beginning.  Jubilee insures a new beginning for us all.  Jubilee is what we will need as the coronavirus finishes its course.  We could all use a little mercy now.