Economic debt can change into moral debt which is then transferred to those who demand more than what is just

In the tradition of the church there is an insight, running like a red thread, that wealth is something good but also dangerous. Crea-tion itself offers an abundance of life and the means of sub-sistence, but all that can be abused, and the blessing slips out of our hands.

When money, and what has the worth of money, is handled, debt will almost unavoidably occur. This is part of the rules of the game. Debts have a tendency to increase for those who are at a disadvantage from the beginning. The economic systems fa-vour those who are already rich. Strangely enough the pattern can shift precisely in that process. Moral debts come up as a re-sult of the inability to pay one's way according to promissory notes that have been agreed upon. If, however, when recovering debts, the limits of what is just are overstepped, the moral debt passes to those who whose actions prevent the indebted from redeeming their debts.

Such things happen in countries like Sweden, when people are caught in debt traps, for which banks and financial institu-tions are evidently responsible. The moral debt passes on to those who ought to have had a better overview of the develop-ment and certainly to those who have used the situation un-scrupu-lously for their own gain.

Such a transfer of debt from the economic sphere to the moral and spiritual sphere has happened in the relationship between the rich world and the poor. The poor countries are indebted in an econo-m-ic sense, according to written agreements. But the limit of what is just has been overstepped. That is why the spiritual and moral debt has been transferred to the rich countries, which dare not or do not want to, let mercy and grace go before right. This right, more-over, turns out to be forfeited through over-pay-ment spread over many years.

The moral debt that has arisen can be denied or repressed, but it will leave no peace. It is, in reality, a debt to God since the de-mands of God for mercy to the weak and poor have been neglec-ted. Accordingly, as injustice in the world increases with regard to abundance for some and the bare necessities, or not even that, for the many, the moral debt also will increase. Out of a lack of justice, particularly when it is so glaring as that between the poorest and the richest parts of the world, a feeling of spiritual illness and mental disease will arise. Confidence and hope is replaced by resignation and despair.

Moral debt, debt to God, cannot be removed through negotia-tions. It can only be taken to God as in the words of the prayer: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in-debted to us." The rich countries of the West have not been able to bring themselves to say: "We forgive those who are indebted to us." Then another challenge must be taken: "Put down your gift – to God – and go first to reconcile yourself to the one you know has something against you. Then you can offer your gift." This is a way which it is fully possible to follow.

Starting points for discussion and reflection

In the tradition of the Christian faith there are some leading principles to offer to an age that is shattered and con-fused, and which has to find a reasonable starting point for renewal.

The first is that the relationship between the poor and the rich must be considered from the point of view of the poor. The poor have the first option of interpretation. The rich are not competent to witness because they do not have the same insight into the truth of the matter. Secondly, the gifts of life, which are at hand in abund-ance, have to be shared generously in order to be a bless-ing. If not, nature will sooner or later hit back. In a life style of simplicity there is a harmony with the given order of creation.

The church is present among the peoples and the na-tions. Many of the Christians of the world belong to the poor. The analysis that Christianity can present shows that the absolute poverty in the world is shock-ing. The poorest are denied their fundamental right to life. If the divine revelation is allowed to shed its light on what takes place, patterns offer themselves for a realistic analysis as well as for hopeful action. Truth is always liberating.

The imbalance between the life conditions of the poor and the rich is a persistent problem. The church has tried hard to fight against it. Sometimes there has been only treacherous silence. In the long tradition of the church and of the experience of the theolog-ians, it appears that there is a limit to what is just. This limit cannot be over-stepped without danger to all. If the right of the poor and the wronged is neglected, spiritual debt will follow. Spiritual debt is a threat to the maintenance of a good society.

The Jubilee-year of 1993, and the years which follow, pro-vide an opportunity for decampment, a change in direction and renewal. There is the possibility to regain quality of life. The possibility rests on the freedom of every human being, a respect for the balance that is inbuilt into nature, and an ecology of the societal fellow-ship, where unjust rifts between human beings are -bridged. Together with a decampment comes a liberation from debts to God for that which is done against the will of God. To-gether with a change in direction and a renewal comes a decision to bring forth old and new models of action, taken from the bib-li-cal treasury and from the gathered tradition of the church.

* Economic growth is but one dimension of that which leads to a better life. What is most important is to grow according to one's inner person. Economic growth has to be placed within a wider context where the ecology of nature, the societal fellowship and individual freedom is taken into account. The richer countries have the possi-bil-ity of developing a society that is characte-rized by simplicity, that is rich in fellowship and spirit-ual culture, that stands in solidarity with the poor and is in balance with the given order of nature.

* In spite of the current crisis, Sweden is a society of abundance. We can afford to share our abundance with the poorest of the world so that their quality of life in-creases. The poorest and most wronged have a right to be heard at the meeting places of global fellowship. We can choose to be active and to help people who are the victims of calamity and injustice. The Church of Sweden should demand of its baptized members that they take re-sponsi-bility for the mission of the church and for inter--church aid. It is important that the nation sticks to its goal of one percent as a minimum for Swedish deve-lop-ment aid and to see to it that it goes to the poorest.

* The great, common task is to rouse public opinion for a higher morality within the area of economic re-sponsibility and respect for good, basic principles. A borro-wer's concerns must be looked after to the same extent as those of the lender. The common good must be given pre-ference to private gain. There must be special, moral demands on monetary systems where interest plays a decisive role. The limits for usury and specula-tion have to be clear. A new consciousness has to be aroused to define the difference between that which may be techni-cally legal, and what is morally defensible and per-miss-ible.

* All have a responsibility for thinking about the condi-tions of life of the coming generations. All that has been created is a loan to be handled with caution, to care and to hand on to those who come after. This particularly

applies to the environment, for which everybody must take responsibility.

* A good future for all demands free, just, democratic and open societies around the world. It is the respons-ibility of all women and men to help in the shaping of such societies and to resist violence and oppression in all its forms.

* Economic debt in international contexts, as well as in our own neighbourhood, are, or become, in one way or another linked to moral and spiritual debts. This makes it important to provide spiritual and moral norms for the rising generation and to follow them in one's own life. It also makes it important to be able to show to those who are burdened by spiritual debt how such debts can be redeemed.

* The Church of Sweden administers much money and pro-perty of various kinds. The Jubilee-year should be taken as the starting point for a thorough analysis of the economic stewardship of the church in the light of the biblical revelation and the historical experience of the Church. When the structures for economic life have reached a point of crisis, the time has come for new struc-tures that better mirror the Creator's original aim and ultimate vision.

Even as times in our country seem difficult and the problems of a world with shocking poverty seem insoluble, it is the task of Christians to preserve hope and confidence in the future. Christ-ian faith rests on the reality of the resurrection of Christ. It ascertains the victory of good over evil. Forgiveness obliterates sin and guilt. Death has to give way to Life.