Margaret Atwood writes this fascinating article on the history and meaning of debt — Debtor’s Prism — in the Wall Street Journal. Atwood traces the history of debt through numerous  cultures and describes how debt is woven into the very fabric of society, its structures, literature, culture, and even games. Atwood does a marvelous job unpacking the language and metaphors used to describe debt.

I was particularly struck by the notion that “without story, there is  no debt.” In other words, debt is not an abstract thing. It really is a story of how you got into debt, what you were thinking to get you to that point, what you are doing now that you are in debt, and whether the story will have a happy or tragic ending. In my mind this squares with the biblical worldview.  The scriptures show us that life is not lists and formulas, but decisions and actions based on beliefs. The root cause of debt — whether it is at a personal, institutional, or national level — is a story about what is believed, decided, and acted upon.

Does what you believe, decide, choose, and take action on lead your life story toward debt or toward freedom?