It is a little disingenuous to now suggest minding our heart after two pages telling us why we should oppose this. Payment of debt is never offered as an act of obedience to God. Forgiveness on the other hand most certainly is. God's side is of course the right side, but you can argue this was a careful balancing act. We can see that in one side thinking it went too far and the other saying not far enough! Sure, some might be helped in totality as their debt was under the 10K offered but most this will merely help a little. Are we so self-centered as to not even want that for our fellow human beings? A little relief? A little joy? Too much to allow?
"Time and again, Jesus displayed concern for where a person's heart was, not in money. Will the transference of student debt hurt the American taxpayer, increase inflation even more and divide an already tribalized culture? Yes, it will do all of that, but Christians can still stand where they believe is right in this conversation, as long as the fruit of the Spirit is rooted firmly in their hearts and the love of Jesus is shown to all they encounter in conversation." - James Lasher
I see no way that you can be against this relief and not be focusing on the money. Thus, it most certainly is a heart issue. It also is a hypocrisy issue because most who are against this are also very much in favor of the previous president who stiffed his debtors six times through bankruptcy. What the James lashers of the world fail to see is they are the ones pitting us against each other. They are the ones furthering the tribalism. They do so by pretending that they know this relief will have any affect whatsoever on the taxpayer or increase inflation. Four years at NYU will cost you over $200,000. A four-year degree from a state college in New York will leave you with a bill around $100,000. The same would run a debt of $28,000 for a City University degree. So maybe those with local degrees would be greatly helped but everyone else? They will still be massively in debt. Is that pound of flesh enough for us?
I am just floored that Christians even have to debate the righteousness of debt cancellation. It is the entire premise of our faith! Are we supposed to revel in the misfortune of others? Even if we perceive it to be their fault? Wasn't the weight of our sin debt entirely our fault? How in the world do you read the gospel accounts of the ministry of Jesus Christ and think for one second, He would be against such small debt cancelation? That His followers scour the bible to find verse snippets to try and deny people a slim margin of relief is reprehensible. We are like the wicked servant demanding these people, who do not actually owe us anything, be thrown in debtors' prison! It is time to stop splitting the bill and pretending there are two sides here within the Christian sphere. There is not. There is one. Jesus created the concept of debt cancellation. His followers should not be trying to end it over a matter so trivial as money. Get your focus back beloved. Can you imagine standing before Christ explaining that you were against debt forgiveness because of concerns over inflation? Seriously? There is no grey area here. We are either pro-forgiveness or not. Time to decide.
Reverend Anthony Wade - August 31, 2022
