A Small Picture of Jubilee?

I came across an article, thanks to my good friend Jason, that gives us a small picture of Jubilee.  Debts forgiven, this is a central theme in the biblical narrative, one that ultimately becomes actualized in a person: Jesus Christ.  Now, I think we do well  not to over spiritualize Jesus declaration of Jubilee in Luke 4, but to recognize that for Jesus it had a social and spiritual component.  With that said, here’s the story.

A 375-year-old French bank has decided to forgive the debts of its poorest customers, Good.is reports.

The Crédit Municipal de Paris, a Parisian institution that offers small, low-interest loans against inexpensive valuables, has announced a one-time cancelation of the debts of some 3,500 customers who owed the bank 150 euros (about $190) or less. The announcement marks the bank’s 375th anniversary.

A PR stunt? Maybe. But that isn’t stopping thousands of customers from celebrating an unexpected windfall.

We don’t know the motives of the bankers, but we can certainly say that this is a glimpse into what would be needed to liberate many poor throughout the world.