By PAUL BUPE –

THE year of Jubilee is an old Jewish Custom in which slaves could be set free. Although Zambia calls for the celebration of the Jubilee, it is not in the strict sense of the Jewish custom.
It is Jubilee in the sense that it is the 50th year from the time Zambia got independence from the British. This number 50 actually makes the Zambian jubilee borrow from the Jewish custom.
The Zambian jubilee at 50 should just be a celebration like any other 24th October otherwise an emphasis on 50 leads to the Jewish concept which complicates matters theologically.
It is rather interesting to see Christians in Zambia are invoking the Jewish Jubilee in the celebrating of their 50th Anniversary of Independence. It is worth mentioning that the Jews themselves don’t observe the Jubilee anymore because of the great difficulty in keeping this law and the complications of the land issue.
If Jubilee were to be understood in the Jewish sense of the word, there could be chaos in the nation. Can you imagine a situation whereby every farmer in the nation down tools for a year because God said to the Jews,”the fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. (Leviticus 25 vs 11-12).
Imagine what could happen if former land owners  that previously sold lands and property 50 years ago returned and repossessed property they previously sold. The Bible states that “In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.” (vs 13)… You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21 says I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me (vs 23).
This was possible to the Jews then as a people governed by and who knew the power of God to sustain them during the period. This was a test of their faith and obedience. But Zambia is a religious pluralistic nation which makes it theologically difficult to celebrate its 50th independence on a Jewish concept.
If Zambian’s were to observe the Jubilee celebrations after the manner of the Jewish tradition, her economy would collapse absolutely. Many families would not survive. Even those with huge bank accounts would not fulfill the Jubilee demands.
During the Bible days people survived on agriculture and they knew in advance what was expected of them, so they prepared adequately to observe the year of the Sabbath. But in Zambia the situation is different.
Therefore, it is impossible to observe Jubilee in the strict sense of the word. Reasons being that: because: We are not under the Mosaic Law (Covenant) but we are under the New Testament.
The Jubilee was exclusively intended for the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:1,44,45; 5:1,6; Exodus 34:27,28).
Christians do not observe the Jewish Sabbath. (Exodus 31:13-17; Christians observe the higher law of love (Matthew 22:37-40).
Nevertheless, we can derive some principles for living that are of timeless relevance from this Jewish tradition.
In this work the principles shall be grouped into three areas. Namely: 1. Environmental Justice 2. Social Justice 3.  Economic Justice. For instance, the issue of giving the land a break through observance the Sabbath of years, can speak to the present call for preserving the environment. It reveals the mind of God with regard to humanity’s exploitation and use of the earth.
Environmental Justice
Some of the major problems the world is faced with are global warming, ozone-layer depletion, and pollution etc.
Given the present environmental crisis the world is in, the Jubilee celebrations should bring to the fore the importance of collective effort in the preservation of our Earth.
It is therefore, expedient that Zambia and the world at large take issues of justice and ecology (eco-justice) seriously.
Therefore, it is everybody’s responsibility, as we celebrate the fiftieth (50th) and 10th anniversaries respectively of our independence, to stop indiscriminate cutting of trees, charcoal and grass burning, and polluting the environment.
Humanity must join in the fight against human activities that destroy the atmospheric conditions necessary to protect present and future life on God’s planet. People are integrally a part of the earth. Humans can never survive apart from the community of all that live on earth. They are part of the web of living creatures and systems.
The Garden of Eden was properly furnished with all kinds of plants, fruits, foods, minerals, rivers and ecosystems before God put man there to nurture it.
Humanity must care for the Earth because God created and owns it, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1); He cares for and speaks through it. Nature points to the creator behind the creation. The wonders of God are God’s statement to us and His footprints.
With millions of square miles of forests being lost every year Zambia risks losing hundreds of animal, bird, insect species and soon there will be a serious loss of fuel-wood and charcoal shortage.
When we look back 50 years ago, there has been widespread ecological degradation. Human beings are destroying other species, their habitats and the greater biosphere of our planet.
The landscape as we have it today is different from what it used to be 50 years ago. Land that used to be heavily timbered is almost barren and treeless. So there are many lessons that can be derived from Israel’s use of the land (Exodus 23, Leviticus 25).
All Zambians and other inhabitants of the earth must understand that environmental ruin is a direct offence against God the creator. Under the call for environmental justice God commands humane treatment of land by observance of the Sabbath. The Sabbath reveals the mind of God as it relates to how people should treat nature. He calls for responsible use of land as oppose to the current indiscriminate cutting of trees.
The LORD said to Moses at Mount Sinai, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. (Leviticus  25 :1-2).
The Christian tradition teaches that “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1).
Christianity has been accused of being responsible for the past and present human tendencies of neglect and destruction of the environment because of its doctrine of creation which elevates humanity above creation and makes humanity to have dominion over creation.
These accusations are based on bad theology; in fact science is the major culprit in the destruction of the environment.
Christian tradition through the teaching of Paul to the Roman Church thus, states:
“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19-23)
The personification of creation by Paul brings to light that creation suffers just like humans. It has been a victim of total depravity as a result of Adam’s fall too.
Therefore, nature groans and waits for redemption. To emphasise the seriousness of the suffering of nature Paul likens the earth’s suffering to a woman in labor, “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…” Nevertheless, the whole creation looks and longs for the revelation of this glory at the end and consummation of its existence.
Since nature like human being suffers and longs for redemption at the revelation of Jesus Christ the son of God, then it is required of every person to treat creation with respect. We are all of a piece we belong to the community of systems that are interrelated and interlocked. Creation has suffered destruction not by natural processes but by human activities.  The second aspect of the year of Jubilee is economic justice.
Economic Justice
An ancient Greek word, oikos, which refers to the household.
“Economic” talks about the transactions that are necessary to maintain the household. The year of Jubilee calls for economic justice. God forbids economic exploitation in the land.
“Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord.” (v17). Be conscience of the Lord’s presence in your dealings and transactions.
Zambians must learn to help each other even as God commanded Israel to help the poor brother.
If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them but fear your God (Leviticus 25 v35).
The Bible calls for the rich and the poor to be fair in their dealings and transactions.
“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord but a just weight is His delight” (Proverbs 11:1). At this point let us focus on social justice.
Social Justice
Slavery is one of the social problems addressed in the year of Jubilee. God calls for Justice to slaves.
There are many ways in which people get and continue to be enslaved. Some are enslaved by poverty, debt, being sold and by crime. If someone owed money, he could sell himself to his creditor.
A thief that failed to make restitution of the stolen goods, the court could order him to be sold to the person from whom he had stolen them. But Jubilee was a year of redemption and release. In theological jargon, to redeem is a technical term.
The Bible has widely used the word Redeem or Redemption. It is the act of buying something back, or paying a price to return something to your possession.
Redemption is the English translation of the Greek word agorazo. Agora is the Greek word for market. Therefore, agorazo means “to purchase in the market place.” So to redeem is an act of buying something back. During the Bible times slaves had the right to be bought back by a relative.
If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves.
One of their relatives may redeem them: An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves … The unredeemed shall be released in the year of Jubilee” (Leviticus 25: 54)
Jesus Christ is the redeemer of the world. Jesus Christ redeems sinners from all forms of sinful bondage and oppression through his death and resurrection. Humanity was sold off as slaves to sin until the coming of Jesus Christ who redeemed the world from sin, the curse of the law and death.
In fact the Jubilee celebrations evoke in our minds the history of our liberation from the oppressive church systems. The contemporary example self redemption is that of Richard Allen the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, from whom the Redeemed Methodist Church was born. He was a slave to Stockley Sturgis. He later bought his freedom from his slave owner at a cost of $2,000. He was his own redeemer in the economic sense.
Fifty years down the road Zambia has been politically independent but economically dependent. She still borrows money in order to oil her economic machinery.
The Bible states that “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” Proverbs 22:7. Cash can interfere in the lives and affairs of the poor.
In this sense, Zambia is a slave to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other lenders. Ironically, although endowed with vast natural resources she still wallows in poverty.
This ironic existence must be taken seriously and resolved. Borrowing for consumption is not a solution. It simply extends the chains of economic slavery to the generations to come.
The Jubilee celebrations should ignite in all Zambians a desire to redeem ourselves from the economic bondage poor nations are in.
The rising external debt at the time of writing this article stood at $4.2 billion. This has potential of leading a country into perpetual economic bondage and loss of investor confidence.
Finally, as we celebrate both the Jubilee and our 10th anniversaries it is expedient that we put into perspective issues of environmental, economic, social and political justice in the land.
Humans and nature are all of a piece we belong to the community of systems that are interrelated and interlocked. Zambia and Africa as whole must pursue economic independence “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” Proverbs 22:7. Africa’s ironic existence must cease.
The peace of our land must be jealously guarded and nurtured because without peace there is nothing to talk about in terms of stability and development. Let us be united as we celebrate the jubilee.
*The author is the presiding Bishop of the Redeemed Methodist Church.