Woe to the
complacent in Zion! Amos
6:1a,4-7
The gap
between rich and poor is
uncomfortably large. If you can
read, you already have
advantages over many other
people in the world. If you
worship in a church building
and have printed copies of
bulletins and worship aids, you
have resources far beyond those
of many others.
Most
people are unaware of their
privileges. They do not live in
the squalor of poverty. They
forget about it, except in
photographs and letters of
appeal. They see the gap
between themselves and those
who are richer, but they ignore
the gap between themselves and
the poor.
The
prophet Amos had no patience
with the rich. They lived a
comfortable life. They lay beds
of ivory. They ate meat. They
played music. They drank wine
by the bowlful. They anointed
themselves with the best oils
and perfumes. They had it all
and used it all. They showed
little concern for the poor.
Amos
could envision another society,
a society in which the rich
shared. Those with more
resources have more
responsibility to help those
who have less.
The
rich who thought they had it
all lost it all in the exile.
When Jerusalem was taken into
captivity, invaders took
interest in the booty of the
rich. They poor had nothing.
They had nothing to lose. But
the rich lost it all.
Our
possessions hold us captive to
our desires, to our fears and
to ourselves. Freedom is in
giving, not in possessing.
