Colloquium

We had a great discussion last Thursday (12 Feb 2009) at the “Leadership Education Colloquium”. We learned about ‘usury’ and discussed whether it was moral/ethical and discussed what usury used to mean and what it means now and what the Bible says about it. We found problems in semantics. Usury meant something different to Shakespeare than it does to most of us now. Usury in his time was lending money at interest and was considered evil for Christians whereas it seems that most think that it is OK. In contrast usury in our time is lending money at exorbitant rates and is considered evil for Christians now.

We discussed why Jews would have been hated in Shakespeare’s time and whether there was any foundation to it. We were able to see why a town/city/village might fear the Jews when the Jews worked as a group, helping one another and taking advantage of a stranger. They also might have considered Jews responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In addition, according to this play, Jews practiced usury (lending money at interest) which was considered evil. (Though it wasn't evil to borrow money at interest.) All these things combined led to an intense hatred for Jews and everything related to them.

We discussed Justice vs. Mercy. Justice says that every time I get on the Richardson Highway and exceed 55mph, even if I go 55.1mph, I am guilty of breaking the law and justice requires I be ticketed and fined every time. Mercy says that I don't have to be ticketed every time, that because of an understanding that speedometers are mechanical devices subject to inaccuracies and fluctuations and because a car is subject to fluctuating speeds even if my foot is held steady on the accelerator, I need not be ticketed every time, though I am still subject to the law and could be. We discussed the importance and necessity of mercy, both from God, and from/towards each other. As Portia says in ‘The Merchant of Venice’:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d (compelled),-
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest-
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:…
…earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,-
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

Some may be wondering why I posted this on this blog? It's simple... "YOU not THEM." Reading and discussing classics is a fun and exciting way to follow this principle. I encourage everyone to do this.