Erik Cramb draws a most progressive message from the Old Testament book of Leviticus
In his farewell speech to the American nation the outgoing President Biden warned of a “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few ultra-wealthy people.”
One headline today, on the morning following Donald Trump’s swearing in as the 47th President of the United States of America proclaimed that “The Richest Got Even Richer in 2024”. Pictured alongside Trump were four of the world’s richest men, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk at the inauguration. Clear proof of the authenticity of President Biden’s words.
When I was a theology student over 60 years ago I listened to a biblical scholar claim that the ancient book of Leviticus in the Old Testament was the most important book in the Bible. At the time I don’t think I had ever even heard of Leviticus, so I was intrigued. This scholar said the book contained all the necessary laws by which a healthy society might prosper. Actually now I realise that today some would deem it to be a ‘green agenda’, others a ‘socialist agenda’, but today of all days I want to stress my belief that it was an agenda crucially about maintaining a cohesive society. Let me explain.
It talks about a rhythm to life. For six days you work, but on the seventh day you rest. For six years you cultivate your fields, but the seventh year is to be a year of complete rest for the land. Although the land has not been cultivated for a year it will provide sufficient food for ‘you, your slaves, your hired men and the foreigners living with you.’ A rhythm to life that has comprehensive benefit. It is not only about promoting what we call a ‘work/life balance’, but it prohibits the rape of the earth, the ‘dig, dig dig’ mantra espoused by Trump.
It goes on to argue (chapter 25) for ‘The Year of Restoration’. The instruction is given to count seven times seven and declare the 50th year ‘The Year of Jubilee’ during which you shall proclaim freedom for all the inhabitants of the land.’ It talks about restoring property, about returning slaves to their own families, about fixing fair and affordable prices and so on. The details would be different today, but the purposes of the Jubilee Year remain the same.
Recognising that over a period of years untrammelled wealth creates a rich class that will become ‘out-of-sight’ rich and the poor become trapped in an ever ending cycle of poverty.
Any social cohesion breaks down. Today we witness that as the billionaires who gather round the honey-pot of power have no connection with the populace other than that of exploitation.
Thus the challenge to democrats everywhere at the end of this first quarter of the 21st century is how to plan for and act upon policies that work for the creation of cohesive society at local, national and global levels. How do we bring the rich to heel and restore the dignity of the poor? The gap is obscene.
Written 21 January 2025.