Jubilee...

...is a somewhat odd word. Usually, it pertains to some kind of musical event or celebration, but it simply is not used much these days. In fact, not only is it an odd word, but it also represents a rather odd concept.

Ancient Jewish custom honored the "Year of Jubilee", which happened every 49 years. Here is the strange part--during this year, all property had to be restored to its original condition and to its original owner. In other words, it didn't matter how many times property had changed hands during those almost five decades. It didn't matter if one found himself in a desperate situation and sold his property for some quick cash. It didn't matter if the original owner was homeless and penniless and twenty pounds overweight. The land returned to the original owner during that year.

The idea, in that day, was that nothing is really ours. We don't really own anything. All our efforts to accumulate property and money and fame and popularity are really very much in vain. We entered this world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing.

Some would say this is socialism. Perhaps it is. Some would say this is ludicrous. And, to be honest, it sounds like it is. Some would say this is Utopian and impossible. It's hard to argue with that.

Or, maybe, there's some wisdom here. Maybe everything we strive after truly is "here today, gone tomorrow". Maybe everything we claim to "own" really belongs to nobody in particular, or to somebody far above us. Maybe we need to reintroduce this word "jubilee" into our language. And maybe we need to allow this concept to influence our worldviews as well.