Deuteronomy 15:11 “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
There is quite a lot in the Bible that is truly strange—talking snakes and donkeys, people coming back to life after they’ve died, a virgin birth. There is quite a lot that is truly boring—all of those begets and the most detailed instructions on how to construct a tent you’re likely to ever come across. There is quite a lot that is truly ugly—commands to kill men, women and boys, but save the virgin girls for yourselves. However, once in a while, you get these little rays of sunshine.
What I see here is an ancient people who were used to cruelty and harsh conditions struggling to establish a kinder and more charitable society. I think the presence of these bits of hope and generosity is one of the reasons this tradition has survived for so long. But sadly, many of the self-proclaimed pious among us use (abuse?) our religious heritage to justify themselves at the expense of others and to beat down those they don’t like. That’s what it looks like to me.
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