God’s system made provisions for the priest and Levites, but people are questioning how one priest told his poor congregants to provide for themselves.   “Tim Jones, parish priest of St Lawrence and St Hilda, told his congregation in York, northern England: ‘My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift.’  In a transcript of his sermon published in the local newspaper, “The Press,” Jones said: “I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither. ‘I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.’” (“Priest: Thou Shalt Not Steal (Unless it’s from Big Business).” www.cnn.com. December 22, 2009.  Accessed December 24, 2009.)

Just as God established cities of refuge to prevent miscarriages of justice, today, the international community desires justice to be upheld for refugees.  “The U.S. State Department said Sunday it was ‘deeply disturbed’ at the deportation of 20 Uyghur asylum seekers from Cambodia back to China.  ‘The United States strongly opposed Cambodia’s involuntary return of these asylum seekers before their claims have been heard,’ the State Department said.  [Gordon] Duguid urged the Chinese government to ‘uphold international norms and to ensure transparency, due process and proper treatment of persons in its territory’ now that the Uyghurs have been returned.” (“U.S. slams deportation of Uyghur refugees from Cambodia to China” www.cnn.com. December 21, 2009.  Accessed December 23, 2009.)