n>As America—burdened by months of sheltering in place, economic devastation, and protests over racial injustice—prepares to gradually open up again, a fundamental question remains: What kind of society would we like to be? Do we really want to return to a world, for example, where Black lives still do not seem to matter and systemic racism and inequality are only exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic? Should we reopen to a “normal” economy in which millions of people are only deeper in debt and unemployment? Should this moment of emergency merely reify the inequalities and weaknesses of our former social norms? I believe there is a way to reflect meaningfully in this moment of societal pause and upheaval to help us renegotiate and renew our social contract by looking up to the socially equalizing ethos of the Biblical Jubilee. Read Full Article »