Living in the Spirit
July 10, 2016

Scripture Reading: Amos 8:1-12

Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
   and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
saying, ‘When will the new moon be over
   so that we may sell grain;
and the Sabbath,
   so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
   and practice deceit with false balances,
buying the poor for silver
   and the needy for a pair of sandals,
   and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’ –Amos 8:4-6

Oklahoma has had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation for a while. Even in a major oil and gas economic downturn, our unemployment rate has only risen to about the national average.The problem for Oklahoma is not unemployment; it is underemployment. The median income in Oklahoma (half the population earns more than this amount and half less than the amount) is $46,235. The living wage for a family of four in Oklahoma with both parents working is $56,950*. Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times writer, chose to evaluate extreme poverty in Tulsa this year rather than traveling to a third world country, and he was stunned by the similarities to the problems he found.

Much of the underemployment results from low wages, an inadequately supported education system, and the inertia of those benefiting from the underemployment that causes them to ignore the reality of much of the state’s population living with inadequate earned incomes. The number with inadequate incomes also includes the elderly and persons with disabilities living on Social Security payments that are below the real cost of living.

Amos is speaking of us and to us in our scripture today. When did wealth become our god? Just as Israel did, we will pay a heavy price for the greed that is the norm today. While some reading this may be underemployed, we the people who can vote have a say in who makes the decisions about these issues.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for not investing the time and energy needed to find a way for all to earn enough to have adequate food, clothing, shelter, and other basic life needs. Let your love be our catalyst for assuring the well-being of all our neighbors. Amen.

*See at http://www.living wage.mit.edu
**http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/opinion/sunday/why-i-was-wrong-about-welfare-reform.html.)

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.