Money and the world

The saying "Money rules the world" cannot be attributed to one person. It became known in the 17th century. It can be found in Georg Henisch's dictionary of 1616. Georg Henisch was a physician and humanist. 
Had the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:24, been forgotten 2,000 years ago? "You cannot serve both God and mammon." 
There are approximately 2.5 billion Christians worldwide. In the most well-known Christian prayer, the Lord's Prayer, they pray, among other things, "Your kingdom come…"

In a kingdom of God, global capitalism as we practice it today certainly has no place. Even if other religions do not have the literal term "kingdom of God," their goal is also an ideal, just, and peaceful world. 
Thus, the challenge of what is more important to us is a personal one. 
As mentioned in my article "Upside Down," we unfortunately live worldwide in a system that serves "Mammon."

Money should be a neutral medium of exchange to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. Money should not be misused as a tool of power, hoarded in banks to be lent out at interest. Money that does not help people is dead matter without value.

Effects

According to UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), global government debt reached a record high of US$102 trillion in 2024, compared to US$97 trillion in 2023. Global government debt amounted to 93% of global gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of 2024. If current trends continue, global government debt could rise to 100% of global GDP by the end of the decade, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund.

Although the national debt of developing countries in 2024 amounted to 31 trillion US dollars, less than a third of global national debt, it has grown twice as fast as that of developed countries since 2010. 
Developing countries also paid a record amount of 921 billion US dollars in interest in 2024.

Many of these countries spend more on interest payments than on health or education, which hinders their ability to achieve sustainable development goals. Furthermore, developing countries must pay higher interest rates when borrowing. This is due to a combination of factors, including higher risk, less stable economies, and limited access to global capital markets. As a result, investors demand higher returns to compensate for the increased risk of lending to these countries. Public debt can be crucial to a country's development. Governments use it to finance spending and pave the way for a better future. However, if public debt grows excessively, it becomes a heavy burden. This is precisely what is happening in many developing countries today. Essentially, every country on our planet is in debt. Who benefits from the billions in interest payments?

Conclusion and Questions

Who created our earth with all its riches? Not humankind, but God, our Creator. Seen in this light, God is the owner, who has given us everything out of trust and love, without demanding anything in return. 
From this perspective, the global capitalist system, which is also used by the materially rich to demand interest on loans from poor debtors, is a sin. 
Let us recall a sentence in the Christian prayer, the Lord's Prayer: "...and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…"

True wealth is not manifested in material possessions, but in honest, loving, selfless relationships and the joy that arises from them. This extends beyond our physical lives.