Let Your Life Speak

Amos 8:1-12

Colossians 1:15-23

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  These are the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his well-known Letter from Birmingham Jail.  Our nation was in the middle of the civil rights movement.  Dr. King and others were fighting to do away with the unjust laws of segregation that oppressed African-Americans; laws that treated them unjustly in the marketplace and in the political process.

In the same way Dr. King spoke and brought to light the injustices of his day, so the shepherd farmer turned prophet Amos did in his day.  The once united kingdom of David and Solomon is now a divided kingdom with Judah, the southern kingdom, and Israel, the northern kingdom.  Amos moved from Judah to Israel to proclaim the word of God to the people there.  Israel was experiencing unprecedented peace and economic prosperity.  There were no military threats.  Israel controlled crucial trade routes.  Luxury goods were more readily available than ever.  Life was good, for some at least.

Amos is called by God to bring a message to the people that God despises how they treat the poor and the needy and there will be severe consequences for this.  The actions of Israel’s business community are leading to the extermination of the poor.  Their greed is insatiable.  Yes, they celebrate the Sabbath and close their businesses on that day and on special religious holidays.  But their minds are all about their business and not about the Living God.  They put up a good front to make it appear they are holy and religious people, but the minute the Sabbath or holiday is over, their businesses are open and running full throttle.

God accuses the wealthy of three deceptive business practices.  An ephah is a unit of measure equal to a bushel today.  By using a smaller basket in selling goods, the customer was cheated.  A shekel was a standard weight placed on one plate of the scale when buying grain; by making the weight too heavy, the customer was cheated.  Lastly the wealthy merchants rigged the balances all together to their advantage and to cheat the customer.  Dishonesty in the marketplace in the 8^th century was very common. 

God accuses the people of Israel in verse 6 of more unjust treatment.  The poor are bought for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.  What Amos is saying is that the poor and needy are sold into slavery for owing as little as the cost of a pair of sandals. 

The final charge in verse 6 speaks against the practice of selling “the sweepings of the wheat” to customers.  This was the practice of mixing chaff and scrap materials with the wheat that was sold.  Again, the customer gets cheated.

Amos proclaims that the wealth and prosperity of so many in Israel came at the expense of the poor and needy.  All this wealth and luxurious living comes with a price and will eventually lead to Israel’s downfall.

What would Amos say about each of us?  What would he say about our culture today?  What would he say about the church today?

To each of us, Amos would say many of the same things he told the Israelites in the 8^th century BC.  Whether we want to admit it or not, each of us participates to some degree in the oppression of the poor and needy.  On the global stage, we, the citizens of the United States of America, are the wealthiest nation.  We have the most wealth, the most resources, the largest military with our navy dominating and controlling the oceans and seas around the world.  What things we buy and where those things are made matters.  Most of our clothing is made outside the United States in a wide range of countries: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Mexico, Canada are a few of them.  Where was the shirt your wearing made?  In a sweat shop or by children who work 10-12 hours a day so we can have the latest fashion styles?  Who made it?  What are their working conditions?  What are the wages they earn?  Is it a living wage?  These are hard questions to ask and contemplate. 

We are called to reflect upon every part of our lives, individually and collectively, to see how they ways we live affect those who live around us.

Our culture and society oppress the poor and needy.  Look no further than the “loan sharks” who advertise on TV that you can get cash now and use the title of your car or your paycheck as collateral.  From where I’m standing, that’s predatory lending and it is not right.

And there are the credit card companies who impose excessive charges and penalties on those who are late with a payment, whether they have good credit or not.  A few years back, I was late with a payment.  I don’t remember why and what the circumstances were.  I had never missed one before.  Because of that one late payment, my interest rate tripled from 8% to around 24%.  I’m sorry, but that’s totally absurd.  Needless the say I paid the balance and they no longer have my business and never will again.  But what about a person who’s trying to make ends meet and get on their feet and they find themselves in this same situation.  Compound interest cuts both ways: it will knock you down or it will build you up.

Consumer fraud is rampant in our society and culture.  There are travel scams, credit card scams, lottery scams, gift card scams, and contest scams to name a few.  Merchants and manufacturers don’t stand by the guarantees they promise for their products or use false advertising misrepresenting the products they are trying to sell.  And the list goes on and on.