Let Justice Roll

Photo Credit: Alison Stabler (Louisville, KY)

Scripture

Amos 5:10-15, 21-24

¹⁰ They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
    and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
¹¹ Therefore because you trample on the poor
    and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
    but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
    but you shall not drink their wine.
¹² For I know how many are your transgressions,
    and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
    and push aside the needy in the gate.
¹³ Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
    for it is an evil time.

¹⁴ Seek good and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    just as you have said.
¹⁵ Hate evil and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph...

²¹ I hate, I despise your festivals,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
²² Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
    I will not look upon.
²³ Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
²⁴ But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 

Devotion

The prophet Amos could write a book about social justice.  In fact, he did.  Amos was a sheep herder in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century B.C.E.  It was a time of prosperity for both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.  It was also a time of great injustice.  Disparities between the rich and the poor were growing.  Those in power were taking advantage of the vulnerable populations God had commanded the people to protect.  Evidence of corruption and oppression could be seen everywhere, but most people chose to look the other way.  It was easier to enjoy the benefits the of the fantastic artistic achievements, commercial developments, and worship experiences around them and than think about the injustices that made such excess possible.  

God called Amos to leave behind his flocks and travel to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Once he got there, God inspired this common shepherd to rail against the people's refusal to acknowledge or fix the injustices that surround them.  Amos begged those who were comfortable with the way things were to take off their blinders and truly look at the growing numbers of people  begging at the gates of their city.  Then, he made it clear that God was appalled to hear people praising him with their words while participating in systems and structures that flew in the face of God's command to protect the vulnerable.  If the people of Israel wanted to worship God, then they needed to step up, step out, and seek justice for those who were being oppressed.

²³Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
²⁴ But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 

 The world we live in may be more technologically advanced than the world of Amos's day, but our situations are strikingly similar.  We live in a time of both unrivaled wealth and increasing economic and social disparities.  For too long, church folk have looked the other way when we've encountered systemic racism,  classicism, sexism, and the like.  Its more comfortable to close our eyes to the suffering that is occurring right in front of us than it is to face the truth.  It's easier to make justifications and equivocations for practices that our hearts know are wrong than it is to change the system...and that especially if those practices somehow benefit us.  I've done it.  You've done it.  We've all done it.  That is part of human sinfulness.

But there are still prophets among us.  As non-violent protestors take to the streets to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,  David McAtee and so many others, they are ripping off our social blinders.  They are asking us to see the effects of centuries worth of systemic racism.  And I believe that God is working through them to help all of us stop being complicit in unjust systems so that we can work to build a better society--a world where a person's safety has nothing to do with the color their skin, and no one ever experiences the crushing weight of an authority figure's boot on their neck.

 

Amos makes it clear that our favorite hymns and our words of praise are meaningless if we do not act on that faith.  But God is happy to accept our Sunday-morning worship when we also live it out by hating evil, loving good, and establishing justice throughout the land.  Not all of us are called to march in the streets, but each and every one of us is called to do something.  We can educate ourselves and others.  We can support organizations and legislation that further the cause of true justice.  We can donate to bail funds and other relief efforts.  There are a thousand and one other ways that we can act.  And I believe that if we all do what we can, then we will be amazed by what God will enable us to accomplish together.  

 

This day, let us took a good, hard look at the injustices that surround us and commit to doing what we can to change things.  With the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can help create a world that is more just, more equitable, and more fair for all God's people.  When we all do our part, the Holy One is pleased to accept our acts of worship.  And we will rejoice as justice begins to roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Prayer