““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
“If you tell me you’re a Christian, be someone who—like Jesus—looks at the crowds and has a compassion for them that propels you into proximity with their pain. Because if you aren’t deeply burdened to live from a place of expansive, sacrificial, selfless love toward your neighbor; not moved to alleviate anguish or reduce suffering; not compelled to leave people better than you found them—honestly, I’m not sure what the point of calling yourself a Christian is.” (Pavlovitz, John. Stuff That Needs To Be Said: Essential Words on Life, Death, Faith, Politics, Love, and Giving a Damn (p. 23). John Pavlovitz. Kindle Edition.
“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 (1913 – 1992) Prophetic Voices Of The Bible, “For All The Saints”, volume III (p. 45)
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.
Again the words of John Pavlovitz: “…if you aren’t deeply burdened to live from a place of expansive, sacrificial, selfless love toward your neighbor; not moved to alleviate anguish or reduce suffering; not compelled to leave people better than you found them—honestly, I’m not sure what the point of calling yourself a Christian is.”
Pastor Dave
Lutheran Schreff 