Sunday 28th June | Rachel Charter
Readings
Reflection
In this passage from Deuteronomy, God is telling the Israelites that thy should cancel debts every seven years. Can you imagine that?! How awesome would that be? No more student debts/car loans/mortgage payments/overdrafts? When we think of debts being cancelled we may think of ourselves and all the things we could spend our money on rather than repayments. But should we think like this? I clearly remember 2nd July 2005 where thousands of us descended on Edinburgh on a sunny Saturday to march and demonstrate with the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign where we were calling the leaders of the G8 Summit to cancel debts of poorer third world countries at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. This did make a difference, improvements were made but poverty hasn’t been eradicated.
Debt is inevitable but it can destroy families, relationships, countries and society. In v11 it says ‘there will always be poor people in the land’ and Jesus says something similar in Matthew 26:11 where he says ‘the poor you will always have with you’. Does this mean we should ignore the poor? NO!
As I write this, Marcus Rashford has just successfully campaigned for the continuation of Free School Meal vouchers during the school summer holidays this year for those families who are entitled to this lifeline. The Coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the poverty that people in this country and poorer countries are suffering too.
The question is ‘What are we doing? How can we use our voices and resources?’
In (v7-8) it says: ‘If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.’
Many Churches and Charities had already woken up to the situation of ‘holiday hunger’, where children go hungry during the school holidays because they are missing out on the hot meal provided at school every day, but for some people this is the first time they may have considered this. Can you add your support to charities working to support people who are struggling, especially at this time of a global pandemic?
‘Even in the best of societies under the most enlightened of laws, the uncertainties of life and the variations among citizens result in some people becoming poor. In such cases the Lord commands that generosity and kindness be extended to them’
Do some research to find a charity or campaign that you want to add your voice to. There are so many out there. Write to your MP, use your voice and, if possible, your money to extend the generosity that Jesus calls us to have to those who are beyond our immediate situations.
Here are a few to get you started:
TLG - tlg.org.uk
CAP - capuk.org
Bankuet - bankuet.co.uk
Tearfund - tearfund.org
Prayers
Loving God, teach us to use what we have to help others.
Help us not to be selfish or tightfisted with our resources.
Give us generous hearts towards all.
Amen.
Collect
Almighty God,
You have broken the tyranny of sin
And have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
Whereby we call you Father:
Give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
That we and all creation may be brought
To the glorious liberty of the children of God;
Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
Who is alive and reigns with you,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever.
Amen.
