December 23, 2023 — Our Concern For The Poor Speaks To Our Faith

“This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Amos 7:7 – 9

“What were Amos’ reasons for speaking as he did…? What convictions lay behind his words? There are three outstanding elements in his preaching…The first is that Israel’s faith must manifest itself in concern for the poor, for the underdog, for the suffering, for those at the bottom of the social ladder. Amos insisted…that the quality of social justice is the gauge of righteousness in people.” Hagen Staack

Amos was very vocal about social justice – he complained about the treatment the poor received at the hands of the rich. I like the comment by Staack that the gauge of our righteousness is found in how each one of us handles the issue of social justice. Social justice is not just for the advocates, for those who like to attend rallies, or for the leftist “wackos”. We all need to be involved in social justice, for social justice is at the heart of the gospel-inspired life. What do I mean by social justice? Briefly, it means “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.” Yes, Jesus said we will always have the poor with us. That does not mean we should accept their plight without somehow hoping to ease their burdens.

There are lots of ways for us to be engaged in social justice. We collect items throughout the year to give to those in need. The food bank is now serving over 100 families per week who come for food assistance. Find ways either in the church or in your community to be involved in advocating and serving the last, lost and least of our communities.

Pastor Dave