Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss. Proverbs 22:16

It happens in every time and place, this making the rich even richer at the expense of those who can least afford it. It’s happening right here and right now, in our time and place. The rich get richer while the poor stay poor. This refusal of generosity, of the bare minimum required to live a good life, is what spurs revolution. Sadly, most revolutions only change the roles – people on top end up on the bottom, and a few end up in their place. The system stays the same.

So what is this loss, what do the oppressors lose? Financially, not much. Social position, not necessarily. On the individual level, at least on the surface, no loss. And the surface is usually the only level we give more than a glance.

But look again. On the communal level, robbing those who can least afford it to give more to the ones who don’t need it (and may not even notice it) drains away the very life of all involved. Such unfairness fractures the bonds that connect individuals to each other, the bonds that create community. It’s loss, sometimes unto societal death.

There’s also a spiritual cost. Harming the defenseless for personal gain leaves its mark, invisible to the eye but there in the heart and soul. It surfaces in the sleepless nights spent worrying that what was taken from another will be taken by another. It’s never being able to trust another’s word – because what goes around comes around. More than anything else, the loss is in the sure knowledge that no amount of money can buy a minute of time. A life was wasted robbing others for gain when it could have been spent seeking beauty, love, and holiness.