Article August 14, 2006 Issue

DEBT RELIEF ESSENTIALS: CARING CREDITORS, WILLING DEBTORS

BY JOPIE VAN HONSCHOOTEN

HOW OFTEN have we heard, "Things are not what they appear to be"? Ask yourself what the most important element is in keeping a bicycle on the road, and after dismissing the tangibles (wheels, frame, chain, etc., which are certainly vital elements), you might settle, as I did, on something intangible: balance. It's something not obvious to the physical senses, yet very real and vital to successfully riding a bike.

In Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy invited readers to resolve "things into thoughts" and to exchange "the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul [God]" (p. 269). And considering the problem of debt relief and the forgiveness of debtor nations in the underdeveloped world, it can be immensely helpful to pursue this line of thinking—to cherish the spiritual demand for balance as well as justice.

For example, a legal obligation willingly undertaken should be honored. Arguments abound against this concern in regard to debt incurred (often by governments no longer in power). Looking beyond the amount that's owed and considering what progress the debtor has made is instructive—is there evidence to suggest a reprieve will be used wisely?