American culture tells us it's better to owe a stranger who is far away than to owe a brother who is near. God says the opposite. If you have the means, it's better to lend to family and friends interest free than to let them become slaves of an impersonal corporation.

We need to do what we can to help fellow believers get out of debt and become productive. In the end, we all belong to God and we need to treat each other accordingly.
Leviticus 25