Living in the Spirit
July 12, 2016

Scripture Reading: Amos 8:1-12

The time is surely coming, says the Lord God,
   when I will send a famine on the land;
not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water,
   but of hearing the words of the Lord.
They shall wander from sea to sea,
   and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
   but they shall not find it. –Amos 8:11-12

 Many associate the “words of God” with the Bible. Statistics tell us we’ve got plenty of Bibles.

 More than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) think the nation’s morality is headed downhill, according to a new survey from American Bible Society.

 The survey showed the Bible is still firmly rooted in American soil: 88 percent of respondents said they own a Bible, 80 percent think the Bible is sacred, 61 percent wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles*.

The book of John takes the “Word” of God a step further: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

When Amos is talking about hearing the words of God, he is talking about being in full communion with the God of love. Of course, we find God in the Bible, and that is a lifelong pursuit for all. Bibles are not table decorations nor are they offensive weapons with which we can force our understandings on others. Indeed, the Bible is a great source of discernment through dialogue when we can grow together in communities of faith. The Word of God as represented in Jesus, the Christ, requires a deeper commitment to understanding and in sharing with God and with one another. My sense is that Amos is observing that the people of his day turned their backs on this level of communion. Are we mirroring that same behavior today?

Prayer: Lord, darkness lurks just outside our windows. Let your light shine before us marking your path for us to follow. Amen.

*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/americans-love-the-bible-but-dont-read-it-much_n_3018425.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.