Loving God, you have always taught your people justice and righteousness, upholding those things that lead to life.  Fill our hearts this day with your life-giving Spirit, empowering and strengthening us for life in this world; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

           Can you imagine God sending a prophet like Amos here and saying, “I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your worship services.  I will not accept your offerings and will not even look at them.  Take away from me the noise of your songs and the sound of your instruments.  I’ve had it!” (cf. Amos 5:21-23).  Does God prefer that people do not worship and do not sing praises and do not bring offerings?... [No!]  The reason that God cannot stand their offerings and their festivals and their worship is that they are doing it without seeking justice and righteousness.  “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream” (Amos 5:24).

         The images that are used by Amos are of things that are life-giving.  In an area that is prone to drought, flowing streams are a source of life.  Amos also says, “Seek good and not evil, that you may live” (Amos 5:14).  Seeking good is life-giving.  Justice and righteousness are life-giving.  But what kinds of things are we talking about here?

         Amos identifies a number of injustices and evils that were going on in Israel at the time – many of which are not all that different from what goes on today!  Concern for the poor and the needy is primary and is mentioned over and over again.  Those who were rich in Israel were indulging in gluttony and drunkenness while continuing to oppress the poor and the needy (e.g. Amos 4:1).  Levies of grain were being taken from the poor. Nobody wanted to hear the truth.  Bribes were being accepted by judges so that there was no justice for the poor and needy.  Those who were doing what is right were either ignored or had pain inflicted upon them (Amos 5:10-12).

         At the same time, merchants are accused of trampling the needy and ruining those who are poor.  They were using false weights and measures in order to cheat people and were passing off the “sweepings of the wheat” as the real deal.  The merchants are accused of “buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 8:6).

         As I hear some of these things from Amos, I have visions popping up of sweat shops all over the world, where those who are poor and needy work for next to nothing so that those in North America can pay as little as possible for the products they want and need.  I also have visions of companies that produce products of lower and lower quality and come away with huge profits every year.  Greed was certainly not unique to Amos’ time.  It is alive and well, and many of those who have the most couldn’t give two hoots about anybody who happens to be poor and needy.

         However, God, on the other hand, has been described as having a preferential option for the poor.  It is also true that Jesus tended to hang out with those who needed him the most – often those who had next to nothing.  Jesus, too, pointed to justice and mercy and faith as the most important things in God’s Law (Mt. 23:23).

         While there are many different things that we could address when it comes to justice and righteousness, in the context of what Amos had to say, justice and righteousness might look something like this:  Instead of eating and drinking to excess, those who have more would share with those who are in need.  Those who buy and sell would do so honestly and would ensure that each person gets a living wage.  Those who do what is right would be treated with fairness and respect, and the truth would be both sought out and believed.  Those in positions of power would refuse to accept bribes and would give right judgments for all, whether rich or poor or in between.  Doing what is right would be honoured and rewarded, while injustice and evil would not be tolerated or supported.  These are the sorts of life-giving things that God continues to desire in our world.

         Yet, as we have discovered over the past few months, God does not work alone.  God works through people like Amos and you and me in order to bring about justice and righteousness in our world.  The thing is, though, that when we start to look at all of the evil and injustice in our world, it is easy to become overwhelmed and not even know where to start.  This is at least one of the reasons that we are part of a community of faith.

         Whenever somebody is baptized or affirms their baptism or becomes a member of the church, there is always mention of working for justice and peace in all the world.  This is part of our calling as followers of Jesus, and none of us can do it alone.  Not only can we not manage this as individuals, even as a congregation it is too much.  This is why we are part of larger groups of Christians who work together in the areas of justice and peace.  In Canada, this happens through KAIROS – subtitled Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.  We, as Lutherans, work together with other Christians across Canada as part of KAIROS, addressing justice issues that are of concern to all of us.

         And so, some people choose to get involved in KAIROS as their way of working for justice and peace.  Others choose one or two justice issues that are close to their hearts.  And many try to pay attention to whatever needs God puts right in front of them.  None of us can do it all, but all of us can do something!  It is a matter of giving new life to those who need it the most, while allowing those life-giving waters to flow within us as well.  For just as we cannot do this all by ourselves, we definitely cannot do it without the power of the Holy Spirit.

         The same Spirit who is poured out at baptism – the same Spirit who gives us faith and gifts for ministry – this is the Spirit who is like rivers of living water flowing from the hearts of believers.  May it be so this day, so that justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.  Amen.

Pentecost 23 (NL 4)                                                                        Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24

November 12, 2017                                                                        John 7:37-38

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2017 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved