COUNTERCULTURAL
"One of the most exciting of the Sabbath laws was applied every 7 years. Just like the Hebrew people were suppose to refrain from working every seventh day so that their land, animals, and servants could rest, every seventh year, the Hebrew people had a celebration called the jubilee, during which they would take the whole year off from work. During this 1-year break, all the food that continued to grow in their fields was free for the taking for families who were struggling to get by (Exodus 23:10-11). And any debt that folks had incurred during the past six years was erased. These laws ensured that those in society who were intent on getting ahead had to take a break so that the gap between the rich and the poor would be kept to a minimum. It is almost impossible for us to grasp how wildly countercultural (and difficult) this economic practice really was. God's idea for this peculiar people was that there be "no poor people among you" (Deuteronomy 15:4-5)."
- From Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne
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