Living in the Spirit

November 6, 2020

Scripture Reading: Amos 5:18-24
Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
   Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
   as if someone fled from a lion,
   and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
   and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
   and gloom with no brightness in it?

I hate, I despise your festivals,
   and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings,
   I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
   I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
   I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
   and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

The day of the Lord to many Christians marks the coming of Christ and eventual return. In the Hebrew Bible the day of the Lord relates more to temporal events like the darkness of being overthrown by an enemy. Amos deals with people who are caught up in the image of a god of their own creation. A god they worship with great festivals and solemn assemblies in the very midst of great. Rome burned while Nero fiddled; Israel landed in Babylon while it ignored God’s prophets. Problems arise when our cultural lives serve as blinders for any injustice present in our world.

Our personal worth, all people’s personal worth’s began when we were created in the image of God. Our challenge is actualizing the skills and talents with which we are endowed while furthering the advancement of others made in God’s image. In creating the world, God manifested an interdependent system that works best when fueled by the force of God’s love in and among all of us. There is no place for injustice in such a schematic. Houses divided fail and fall.

We, as a nation, are very divided. Now is the time to assess our situations to seek common ground for the Common Good.

Prayer: Creator of all, forgive us for missing the mark in seeking justice for all. Guide us in finding your path toward justice. Amen.

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.