Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

-Romans 12:15, KJV

When I separated from my (now) ex-wife, I attended a wedding of a dear friend. It was a blast. I rejoiced with them.

I could have been a party-pooper. Or I could have decided not to even go to the celebration because I hated marriage as mine was falling apart.

Yet, I did not allow my personal misery prevent me from being a solid Christian brother and rejoicing with my friends.

My problem was not with marriage as an institution. It was with a certain person who was sinning against me by ending our marriage under a cloud of her infidelity.

The reason I bring this up is my annoyance with all the people whining today about President Biden forgiving student loans. Why can people not just rejoice with those who rejoice?!

People crying, “Not fair!”* reminds me of a kid throwing a tantrum over siblings getting something they would have wanted but cannot have.

It is true that it is not fair. So much in life is not fair. My first marriage ending through adultery and abandonment was not fair. But does that mean I should castigate all matrimony? No.

Rejoice with the rejoicing!

That is biblical behavior.

 

 

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*Much has been written about the Jewish year of Jubilee in the context of this Presidential announcement. The idea of forgiveness of debts is a deeply Judeo-Christian idea. That is why some of the objections over this are troubling to me. Yes, I grant that the forgiveness passed the cost to other taxpayers (whether that burden is primarily to rich or poor tax payers is open to debate). Regardless, God still calls for us to forgive debts. In fact, the Bible is clear that true followers are to forgive debts or risk eternal torment (see Mt 18:21-35)!