Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. (Nehemiah 5:10-12)
8 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; 9 That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. 10 Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go. 11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids. (Jeremiah 34:8-11)
When the people went back on their promise and enslaved each other again, God declared that they would be killed and exiled far and wide. They did the right thing and released their slaves, but when they did not end up following through it was as if the revival had never happened.
What is verse 6 of Isaiah 58 telling us about the proper way to fast and live in the time of judgment? We should be freeing our slaves. Who are our slaves? Those of us who live in supposedly "developed" countries have the benefit of slave labour in many of our cheap commodities. We can use the only means I know of to prevent this: namely boycotting brands that are associated with slave labour. I think this is the modern application of this injunction, I don't think it needs to be spiritualised; correct me if I'm wrong.
There is a more personal application though. In our business dealings, we should not try to squeeze others or be obsessed by bargains. When a product is reduced for quick sale, that is different. But if I go to a supermarket because I can get milk 20c cheaper there I am actually destroying the livelihood of dairy farmers. Massive corporations are reducing the price of milk by forcing farmers to sell it for less, and eventually the farmer sells the farm to the corporation to pay his debts and the farm becomes just another cog in the corporate machine. I'm not being political, the government cannot solve the problem. Jesus will solve the problem in the future, but you don't want to be on the wrong side of it when he does. Pay more to shop ethically and go without the excesses of what the media has taught us is essential. To do otherwise is to enrich yourself at the expense of the poor as surely as if you confiscated the bread from their very pantry.
Real love takes real sacrifice. If you think you can change the world by whinging (protesting) or throwing a tantrum (civil disobedience e.g. the piratical Sea Shepherd) you have no idea what you are doing. You are doing no good and probably doing actual harm. To really save the world you are going to need to really suffer in ways you don't want to.
There are some ways I don't mind suffering. I don't mind being hated or physically threatened, I have had such suffering, it wasn't so bad and it happens rarely now. But it hurts me deeply to be misunderstood, and this now happens frequently, it is a great part of the cross I must bear. We must all bear a cross we don't want to have. Jesus did not want his cross, neither will his servants. Will you join me in taking up the cross you have been given today?
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