An Unholy Squeeze

Thank you to all who participated in the conversation about interest. That was helpful for me. I think the principle to not collect interest on brothers (poorer brothers especially) is a sound one.

Part of the reason for that is the squeeze it puts on people for our gain.

This brings me to another portion of the Law of the LORD. Leviticus 19:0-10 "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." (see also Leviticus 23:22)

I was trying to get an idea of what a modern-day application of this would be, since very few people have fields of grain. And even if we did, this would be hard to pull off. I think the principle that transcends culture is that we should not forget the poor in attempts to gain as much profit as possible.

For instance, coffee distributors world-wide are buying beans at rates that cannot support farmers even in the poorest parts of the world. Then they mark the price way up to gain profits of $100,000,000's.

But let's not just focus on how these principles apply to business moguls we will never meet. Let's look at how they apply to us. Are we being faithful? We have the opportunity to buy coffee that is fair-trade certified. I recommend Pura Vida.

It will cost us more, but maybe we shouldn't pinch every penny if it is the world's poorest who get squeezed.