Editorial August 11, 1923 Issue

"Owe no man"

Ella W. Hoag

By the upright in heart, debts have always been considered as something to be avoided; while to fail to pay what one owes has been regarded as moral delinquency. The apostle's injunction to "owe no man" has been ringing down the centuries, admonishing all men to refrain from debt. Many others have written on the undesirability of incurring indebtedness, and have portrayed the unhappiness and misery which accumulate from such a habit. All these writers have hoped by their wise counsel to help men to abstain from such evil practice. In spite of this, the contracting of debts still seems to flourish, even though few things bring more suffering and distress in their train.

Like other wrongs, becoming involved in debt generally starts from the mistaken belief that there is some good to be gained thereby. Its deceptive arguments commence by offering satisfaction in some form, — either as relief from a trying situation, or as presenting the possibility of gaining some material object which to personal sense it seems right and just for one to possess. To those attempting to solve personal needs with selfishness as a premise, results continue to be all awry. From this standpoint, try as one may, his obligations will increase rather than diminish, and limitation will appear more and more real.

Paul spoke with great wisdom when he said: "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Jesus also taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," which Mrs. Eddy interprets in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 17) as, "Love is reflected in love." From this it is plain that the payment of one's debts is an exceedingly important factor in the human problem, and that there is only one way whereby they are to be liquidated; namely, through the love which is the reflection of Love itself. How easy this sounds! To be freed from all one's debts simply by loving! For thereby one would necessarily gain the understanding of good's infinite supply. And yet is there to-day anything more apparent to the human sense of things than the unpaid debts of mankind?

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