2013-09-19 Daniel Daring 2013 articles 2012 articles
25th Sunday: Let justice flow like water
(written about 2007)
Amos
8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13
While preparing my lectures on biblical prophets, I came across the book of Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets, published in 1962 by Harper & Row. Heschel begins with this statement: “This book is about some of the most disturbing people who have ever lived: the men whose inspiration brought the Bible into being – the men whose image is our refuge in distress, and whose voice and vision sustains our faith.” One among those disturbing people was Amos, a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees from Tekoa, a village near Bethlehem of Judea. Called around the year 752 BCE, he went to the Kingdom of Israel with its extremely rich capitol Samaria and its royal sanctuary Bethel and delivered his message about God whose concern is justice. The book of Amos has only nine chapters but I was overwhelmed by the strength of its convictions, the power of its claims, and its unending relevance.
The
absence of loyalty and the absence of pity
It begins with judgment upon the nations neighboring Israel. Amos, unfamiliar with our political correctness, condemned them for their international crimes. Syria, with its capitol in Damascus, committed torture and homicide by threshing “Gilead with threshing-sledges of iron” (Amos 1:3). Gaza “carried into exile entire communities” and sold them over to Edom (Amos 1:6). Tyre broke “the covenant of kinship” (Amos 1:9). Edom “pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity” (Amos 1:11). The Ammonites “have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory” (Amos 1:13). Finally, Moab committed an act of vandalism by burning “the bones of the king of Edom” (Amos 2:1). As Heschel points out, there is a common thread among all those crimes: “the absence of loyalty and the absence of pity.”
The most powerful nation in today’s world assumes that it owns the world. It can attack sovereign nations, destroy ancient cities, cause the death of millions and overthrow freely elected governments. How would Amos react to such international crimes? As the tragedy of Iraq continues, the US is readying itself for yet another unjustified war; this time with Iran. Where is the loyalty? Where is the sense of pity? Are we not all brothers and sisters, children of the same God? What would Amos have said to such a preposterous claim of owning the world? “For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, reveals his thoughts to mortals, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth – the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!” (Amos 4:13).
All data and statistics from Forbes to World Bank indicate that the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. In the US alone, one percent of the population gets 34.7 % share of the nation’s wealth, whereas ninety percent of it gets only 29.9 %. On the other side of the Pacific, thousands of Filipinos are leaving the country on a daily basis in order to work abroad, often in subhuman conditions; those who cannot leave, dream about leaving. The Word Bank Indicators for 2007 shows that 15 million Filipinos survive on less than a dollar a day. Yet, the construction of malls and residential areas continues. That is for our justice. How about our piety? Our liturgy is elaborated to every detail and our worship meetings are well programmed. Heschel writes: “Man is waiting for the day of sanctity to come to an end so that cheating and exploitation can be resumed. This is a stunning condemnation. We are ready to judge a ritual act on its own merit. Properly performed, its value is undisputed. Yet, the prophet speaks with derision of those who combine ritual with iniquity.” How would Amos react to our Masses and worship services in shopping centers, knowing about the unjust treatment of their employees? Yes. We do not need to wait for the day of sanctity to come to an end. We are free to cheat and exploit seven days a week. Yet perhaps, it would be good to realize that piety without justice is an abomination in the eyes of God. “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds” (Amos 8:7).
As one can imagine such a message could not be tolerated by the people. “Go, flee away to the land of Judah . . . ; never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom” (Amos 7:12-13). We would send him away as well. And yet, his message breathes freshness to our complacency in the face of international crimes, and challenges our ritualism in religion. Here is a man who, while others suffer from the silence of God, hears the voice of God roaring; here is a man who, while others think that they own the world, speaks about God who is going to exercise justice; and here is a man who, while others focus on ritual, calls for compassion in dealing with less fortunate of this world. “I hate, I despise your feasts, . . . I will not accept your sacrifices. . . . But let justice flow like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21-24).
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