Today's assigned readings feature several moving passages of Scripture, especially Amos 7:7-17 and Luke 10:25-37. The latter is the story of the Good Samaritan in which we learn that the Christ Figure --, the one doing God's work in the world --, is of the 'wrong' race, class, culture and religion. It is a reminder that what matters to God is the doing, the building up of God's Reign on earth.
In the first reading, we find Amos having a vision -- not some complicated technicolour spectacle as customarily seen in apocalyptic writings and other theophanies, but rather a simple image. He sees a plumb line (that's a guess; actually no one knows what that Hebrew word means) but the message is clear. God will no longer accept the Israelites' worship because of their economic injustice, especially towards the working poor in the agricultural sector.
Israelites have been worshipping at the King's central sanctuary called Beth-el, "Daughter of God." Amos lives in Judaea south of Israel but has travelled to Bethel to deliver God's message that Israel is in moral failure and will collapse. Amaziah is the chief priest at the shrine, no doubt a pragmatic and loyal follower of his government and its cult and friend to the business community. No doubt he sees free-market capitalism as just the way it has to be, and the oppression of the poor as a necessary but unimportant component of the system. God says no to that analysis. So says Amos.
In response to God's word, Amaziah's defensive posture is not surprising. He accuses Amos of being a professional prophet for hire and motivated by greed for money. None of that is true. And he bans Amos from the shrine, telling him to go back where he belongs.
The stunningly simple question for each of us is: Am I Amos or Amaziah? Do I, as best I can, stand up for those our system has left behind or do I excuse or simply ignore injustice? And do remember today's Gospel teaches us that our neighbour can be anyone in any place whom we might help. This week's news included a report on the Constellation Brands factory in Zaragosa, Mexico. This plant makes for U.S. consumption Pacifico, Modelo, and Corona beers. They have so drained the aquifer that there is virtually no tap water for the inhabitants of Zaragosa to use for drinking, cooking, or hygiene. Not to worry, just use beer instead! That reminds me of an incident in Colombia many years ago when a beverage manufacturer did the same thing to the water supply, telling locals there to give their kids soda instead of water. And when an attempt was made to organize the plant, the manager hired a death squad to execute the leaders. These are just a couple of examples of the kind of Amaziah-type thinking that we can work to overcome, or else take our chances with the ultimate consequences.
I personally support Resist, a charity which does nothing but provide small grants of a few thousand dollars to numerous grassroots organizations trying to help the poor and oppressed to take charge of their lives. That is how I try to be a part of the solution. Intervene when and as you can, if you want to be Amos, not Amaziah.
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